Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 10, 2014

Kaieteur News

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Letters... Where your views make the news... Letters... Where your views make the news

Anil Nandlall and his role in fraudulent powers of... From page 4 Anil Nandlall. He was the lawyer who did the deed transfer. The following day I showed up at Mr. Nandlall’s office. He looked over the papers. We broke into a casual chat about my eldest brother, Narine Persaud, who now has title to the property. He described my brother’s balding head. “Da ole’ man know e’ self”, he said, acknowledging his scampishness about stealing properties. Mr Nandlall explained the deed transfer was done on the basis of a document called a power-of-attorney, which my father signed over to Narine Persaud. I looked at the document and pointed out that the signature that purported to be my father’s was a forgery. The document was prepared by Mr. Nandlall’s secretary and signed by two witnesses, his secretary and another person, a clerk at the Deed’s Registry at Victoria Law Courts, Georgetown. I told Mr. Nandlall that my father did not live in Guyana (he lived in New York) and therefore his secretary could not possibly have met or witnessed his signature. Mr. Nandlall realized the whole transaction was a fraud. Another brother, Harry, who accompanied me to the meeting, related another family story that exactly replicated ours. In that case, a returning family member, Mohan, residing in Canada, returned to discover his father ’s property had changed hands in an identical way. Mohan went to the attorney who quickly realized he was duped. The attorney was incensed and he took it upon himself to prepare all necessary documents at no

cost, took them to the same judge, explained he was duped by his own client, and thereupon all the deeds were reversed to the original owner. Mr. Nandlall listened. We asked him to act likewise as that other attorney. He pushed back on his reclining chair, thought for a moment, then said: “Since I am part of the problem, you have to get another lawyer”. For clarity and emphasis, at no time – he had an opportunity to do so – did Mr. Nandlall opt to defend the transaction as proper and legal. Mr. Nandlall knew a terrible fraud had been committed, that his good offices were a major enabler of the fraud, but felt no moral scruples that would move him to undo the fraud. I then asked Mr. Nandlall for his secretary whose name was signed as a witness on the power-of-attorney document. I do not know what Mr. Nandlall was thinking about. He revealed that his former secretary who helped to manufacture the fraudulent document now lived in New York and worked as Mr. Ed. Ahmad’s confidential secretary. I happen to live exactly five blocks from Ed Ahmad’s posh real estate office. Back in New York one week later, I showed up at Ed Ahmad’s office. And, there was Mr. Nandlall’s former secretary, Mona Boodhan, about to sit down for lunch. I showed her the power-of-attorney with her signature. She admitted that she prepared and notarized the fraudulent power-of-attorney document. I asked her to describe my father. She said she never saw my father. How did she then sign certifying his signature? She said that’s how these documents are done all the time. Someone

orders it, pays for it, and the office does it. In a family of ten children, it is bad enough to have one rogue sibling, but infinitely worse to have attorneys like Nandlall practising law. Before returning to New York in 2009, I confronted the second signatory, Rukmini Bijlall who worked as a clerk at the Deeds Registry. I showed her, her signature on a power-of-attorney witnessing/certifying my father’s signature. She admitted she signed it. Did she see my father? She said she did not. Why did she sign to certify my father’s signature? She said, once the document comes from Mr. Nandlall’s office she accepts the veracity of it. Mr. Nandlall’s office without a doubt has been a factory for manufacturing fraudulent legal documents which have then been used as vehicles to change titles of properties valued millions of dollars. One remarkable thing. My father was not living in Guyana at the time when the power-of-attorney was prepared, and his forged signature was certified by at least three people: Notary public Geeta Prashad, two witnesses of the signature, Mona Boodhan and Rukmini Bijlall. Not one of them bothered to ask to see my father, whose signature they

were certifying/witnessing. In the summer of 2010 I returned to Guyana. I showed up this time at AG Ramson’s office. For three straight days I pleaded with him – via a handwritten note to a receptionist - for a chance to discuss how Power-ofattorneys are being manufactured in the country and how it has become a vehicle to steal people’s properties. On the third day Mr. Ramson seemed to relent. He assigned a Russian trained lawyer (whose name I have since written in sand and covered it up with mud) to meet with me. This mild mannered gentleman sought to convince me that my land case is a civil matter. In the last five years I have heard of numerous similar cases – the number is probably in hundreds, if not thousands – in which fraudulent powers-ofattorney have become the favored vehicle to steal properties. Guyana is a land in which half the population live outside the country and their real estate assets are left in the care of relatives or friends. This situation has spawned a whole industry of fraudulent documents. And, the AttorneysGeneral Ramson and now currently Nandlall – both men think this category of frauds

are civil not criminal. One of them actively participated in the frauds. I felt only disgust and contempt for the office of the Attorney-General My father’s dream of having his rice lands preserved among his descendants for another “300-years” may not be fulfilled simply because of corrupted officers of the law and a state where the rule of law barely functions. P.S. In September this year my attorney Sase Gunraj obtained an injunction against a gentleman named Seepersaud who claimed to be a caretaker of the rice lands.The injunction was signed by Chief Justice Ian Chang. On the basis of this court document and with the cooperation of the police department in Leguan, my other siblings dispossessed Seepersaud from the land. Seepersaud told the police in Leguan he had no papers whatsoever to occupy the land. One month later. Lo and behold! Seepersaud appeared before another judge and says: Eureka, I now have a lease backdated to 2012, good for three years. (Did he not tell the Leguan Police he had no papers to occupy the land?). Of course the new judge didn’t know the lease was signed by

Narine Persaud who died six months ago. The lease was notarized by Narine Persaud’s daughter, Margarie Persaud, in the State of Florida. This lease did not exist up to one month prior to this new injunction hearing before a new judge – but now this judge reversed Judge Ian Chang’s order and the caretaker has now repossessed my father’s lands. This time he is armed with a High Court order. Stranger courts and Stranger Judges and Lawyers have not been said about another land. My own attorney Sase Gunraj refused to respond to my emails – he has been paid all sums of money he charged – I do not know if he made representation on my family’s behalf, whether he pointed out to the judge that the lease which did not exist up to one month prior could not possibly be signed by a man who died six months ago, and represented a wholesale fraud. On the basis of a palpable fraudulent lease, a high court judge reversed an order issued by Chief Justice Ian Chang. Half a million Guyanese live outside our beloved native land. We can only mourn the death of the rule of law. Mike Persaud

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Kaieteur News

Guyana Stores/NICIL court battle...

CEO Tony Yassin cross-examined Guyana Stores Limited (GSL) Chief Executive Officer, Tony Yassin, was crossexamined yesterday as the court battle between the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) and Royal Investments Incorporated (RII) continued before Justice Roxanne George-Wiltshire. Yassin was questioned by NICIL’s legal representative, Attorney–at–Law Rafiq Khan, about his involvement in the incorporation of Royal Investments and the details of the transaction which led the purchase and privatization of GSL. Yassin told the court that the Royal Investment (RII) was incorporated in 1999, but he was neither a shareholder nor on the Board of Directors at the time. Yassin said that he was there from the inception of RII, but that the company became incorporated in 1999 for the purpose of the acquisition of GSL. The witness noted that shareholding at the time was held by Reaz Khan. Yassin did not become a shareholder until October 4, 2000. Yassin said that four persons were part of the tender process for the purchase of shares in Guyana Stores Limited. He explained that Khan, himself, Brian Tiwarie, and a company from Curaçao, sought to purchase shares from GSL.

Wednesday December 10, 2014

Union leaders should take blame for public servants’ woes - FITUG GS - No comment from PSM on “imposed” increases By Zena Henry

Guyana Stores Limited CEO, Tony Yassin

Head of NICIL, Winston Brassington

He noted that Khan conducted negotiations with the Privatization Unit with respect to the purchase of shares from GSL. Asked whether Khan had kept him informed about the process, the witness responded in the negative. The Attorney then asked Yassin whether he was aware of an offer for the purchase of 50% of the shares in GSL in 1996. Yassin again related that he had no knowledge of such. Khan further questioned whether there was a request for purchase of 70% of the shares in Guyana Stores Ltd and whether it was Royal Investments Inc. that responded to the advertisement. To this, Yassin replied, “It was four individuals who responded on behalf of Royal

Investments Inc. We were the four principals that completed the documents.” The attorney subsequently inquired whether the four parties were acting in individual capacities or on behalf of Royal Investments. Yassin replied that they were acting in their individual capacities and together. Mr. Khan then asked Yassin who were the individuals. In reply, Yassin said Reaz Khan, Shaliza Khan, Brian Tiwarie and himself. “Assuming that your bid was successful, in whose name the share would have been invested?” asked the lawyer. “Royal Investments Inc,” Yassin said. The witness later agreed that based on the information received from the Privatisation Unit and proposal of Winston Brassington, RII was selected as the preferred investor. Asked whether he ever managed a company the magnitude of GSL, Yassin said not in terms of physical size but in terms of sales and more branches. He clarified that the company was located out of (Continued on page 15)

General Secretary of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) and the National Association of Agricultural Commercial and Industrial E m p l o y e e s (NAACIE), Kenneth Joseph, is of the view that trade union leaders have become weak in contemporary politics. He in fact believes that they should “totally” shoulder the blame for the many woes which the public workforce has faced and is currently facing. “All of us should take the blame for being foolish and for allowing the situation between the government and the union to deteriorate,” Joseph asserted. He opined that unity is required to cross the current hurdles positioned against public servants, but many leaders are looking too much into politics “instead of doing what they are paid for.” The weakening of the trade union movement, he suggested, came with political division and the intimate association of trade unionists with these bodies. Speaking specifically to the imposition of increases on public servants, Joseph said that the unions have also been “allowing the government to get away with the illegalities” against public servants. He reiterated the need for unions to stand united since according to him, it is not an easy task to get the union leaders together. “It’s very difficult to get the leaders together. Unless they unify, the unions will remain defeated.” The trade unionist also noted that union members have been allowing the government and their representatives to “get away with the incomplete representation of their rights”. He said these major factors, among others, contribute significantly to the workers’ troubles. Head of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) Patrick Yarde also believes that union leaders should take blame for public servants’ troubles. He said however that, “everyone…leaders,

FITUG/NACCIE’s Kenneth Joseph members… everyone could have done better.” He reflected that there are things that he too could have done better. “But you are dealing with a very peculiar situation in this country and sometimes the leniency that I have displayed I have regretted it. There is no blueprint where there is a perfect way to deal with things. “In taking action, you must be clear that there are things that must trade off. There are sometimes very difficult decisions. Do you think I would be happy to know that I pull out the staff at GPHC and it results in the death of anyone?” Yarde emphasised that there must be significant consideration when making decisions, which usually carry a cost. He reminded that it was not ideal for workers who lost 57 days’ pay during the 1997 strike. “They were gravely inconvenienced, while other sectors were severely disrupted,” he said. Yarde said too that the union is dealing with ‘an uncaring and unreasonable government” before reminding that in 1999 it was former President, Bharrat Jagdeo, who went to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and related that public servants should get three percent for the next 10 years. Yarde said Jagdeo claimed that the country would be economically devastated if the workers got any percentage more than the three percent. The arbitrators, Yarde continued, decided to give public workers 31.1 percent in one year and 26.6

Public Service Minister Jennifer Westford

GPSU’s Patrick Yarde percent the next year and the national information showed that in 2001 inflation was at its lowest ever. “It’s either he (Jagdeo) is the biggest dunce or it was the biggest scam to be played on public workers,” Yarde charged. First Vice President of GPSU, Mortimer Livan, told Kaieteur News yesterday that tomorrow will be one week after the 48-hour ultimatum was issued to the government following the imposed increase of five and eight percent increases. Since the government announced the increases, correspondence was sent by the union demanding an explanation. A specific letter was sent to the Public Service Ministry’s Permanent Secretary (PS) Hydar Ally asking him to explain the part he played, since he signed the circular for the public workers’ increases, but kept telling the union that he was awaiting directions from his superiors for negotiations of wages and salaries. The union said it has not received any response from the PS or his superiors, and it is currently strategizing its next move. Kaieteur News made contact with Public Service Minister, Jennifer Westford, who was at the time in Lethem. When asked for a word on the ongoing matter involving the imposed increases, the Minister said she has “no comment” at this time.

Wednesday December 10, 2014

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 10, 2014

Senate passes bill to sanction Venezuela officials WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has passed legislation that would direct President Barack Obama to levy sanctions against Venezuelan government officials or others accused of perpetrating acts of violence or human rights abuses of anti-government demonstrators. The bill, passed in a voice vote on Monday evening, authorizes sanctions that would freeze the assets and ban visas of individuals involved in violating the human rights of those opposing the South American country’s socialist government. During the summer, the State Department imposed a travel ban on Venezuelan officials accused of abuses during a months-long street protest movement in the winter and spring that

left dozens of people dead. “For too long, Venezuelans have faced state-sponsored violence at the hands of government security forces and watched their country’s judiciary become a tool of

political repression,” said Sen. Robert Menendez, DN.J., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the author of the bipartisan Venezuela Defense of Human Rights and Civil Society Act.

PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti - CMC — The 11-member presidential commission established by President Michel Martelly to help deal with Haiti’s worsening political crisis is recommending the resignation of Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe and his government as well as with members of the Electoral Council. The Miami Herald said it had obtained a copy of the

document, which is calling for the resignation of the head of the Supreme Court. In addition, the commission also wants several people detained arbitrarily to be released. According to the US-based publication, the report is calling for a truce by the opposition following weeks of street demonstrations in a bid to force Martelly out of office. It said the truce is necessary to achieve a

political agreement for the country’s long-delayed local and legislative elections to occur, members agreed. “The Commission believes that to avoid a worsening of the current situation, ‘the most credible solution to the crisis’ should allow a return in a reasonable time, to constitutional normalcy…”. It was signed by all 11 members and handed to Martelly Monday.

President - Barack Obama

Haiti Commission calls for resignation of PPrime rime Minister Lamothe

Wednesday December 10, 2014

Kaieteur News

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EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW The people of Guyana will in the New Year get an opportunity to decide whether they desire to see the PPP remain in office or whether a change is necessary. This will happen whenever elections are held. However, before we meet that stage there are important issues that need to be addressed, regardless of who is likely to win the elections. These issues are independent of political change. Irrespective of who wields political power, there are principles that need to be addressed if Guyana is to be described as a constitutional democracy. Elections alone do not make a nation a constitutional democracy. One of the other important features of a

constitutional democracy is equality before the law. For equality before the law to exist, the independence of important offices such as the Auditor General and the Director of Public Prosecutions must be preserved and protected. It is no longer just a case that these offices be designated as independent constitutional offices. It is necessary that these offices be free from dependence on the Executive and Legislative arms of the State so that no pressure can be brought to bear on them. One of the suggestions made by the opposition parties is for these offices to be granted one-off subventions rather than having to await regular

releases by the Ministry of Finance. The latter, it is argued, can ration these releases as a means of exerting pressure and influence. In other words, financial dependence on the Executive, for example, can be used to undermine the operational independence of these offices. Operational independence of certain offices is needed if equality before the law, an important element of constitutional democracy, is to be maintained. There is supposed to be equality of all citizens before and under the law. But the ordinary man has the perception that there are two sets of laws in Guyana. And it is necessary that the prosecuting authorities

Dem boys seh...

GRANGER DEAF AND RAMJATTAN BLIND When Jagdeo give away de radio frequencies to he best friend and he family and he party, dem boys talk about de danger of that. Even de big man at the US embassy at de time know that this thing was wrang and dangerous. He tell Jagdeo to revoke all dem stations he give out. Other diplomats talk about it and de opposition whisper. When dem boys protest dem did see de big picture ahead. Dem talk to de opposition— both Hap Old not New and Hay Heff C fuh Satar. But De opposition couldn’t see further than dem nose; dem couldn’t see wha Jagdeo and the Piss pun People Party had in store fuh dem. Now all dem radio station wha Jagdeo give away cussing everybody who not in Jagdeo and Ramotar camp, morning, noon and night. Dem call Granger and Ramjattan all kind of names. Dem seh Granger Deaf suh dem can seh anything pun de radio because he can’t hear. Dem tell Ramjattan that he can’t see straight suh dem can do anything pun de TV because he can’t see. Dem call de Waterfalls boss man a dummy, that he nevah been to school which is de only thing that dem ever seh that was true. Dem does call Uncle Adam de Heditor and de house slave and he does get vex because dem lef out de Doctor in front, not de one like

wha Babbie, Berry and Bharrat got—three of de most unscrupulous Bees Guyana produce, not forgetting de fat crook. Dem does use de radio stations to talk all kind of dutty things about hanest people who dem don’t like. Dem busy promoting dem party and bigging up de ducks—Donald followers. Now dem boys want to know what de seedless opposition got to use to get dem voice out to de people. One man seh that dem can trumpet through de thing under de cow tail to get to dem followers and voters. These idiots. And according to dem boys it gun get wuss fuh dem. As a matter of fact dem might got to keep bottom house meeting every hour of de day fuh fight all dem lie that de ducks— Donald followers—gun be spewing and shouting come election. Donald, de chief duck, tell dem boys during de protest that de Waterfalls paper had to give he three weeks and he gun regularize de situation. Everybody fall fuh that, including dem boys and dem stop de protest. Three years done fuh he in de office and he nah even regularize de furniture in it. De only thing he regularize is he weight fuh sit down pun nibbi furniture, come next year after de election. Talk half and get couple loud speaker fuh de opposition.

disabuse any perceptions or notion that the public may harbour about unequal treatment before the law. The publisher of this newspaper was hauled before the Courts for the alleged use of threatening language. Other individuals have been hauled before the courts for threatening language. Yet we are told that under the common law there is no such offence as threatening language. How is it that charges could have been proffered against the publisher of this newspaper for threatening language and the allegations made by the publisher of this newspaper against the Attorney General have not yet reached the stage of prosecution? In order to establish equality before the law, it is necessary that those entrusted with prosecution, namely the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Guyana Police Force be independent of any form of political pressures and seen to be acting free of any semblance o f p o l i t i c a l favouritism. How can this be done? How can the

public be assured that equality before the law is alive and healthy in Guyana? One way in which this can be done is for the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Police to indicate the status of the investigation into the allegations made by the publisher of Kaieteur News against the Attorney General. It is for the DPP to demand the file on this matter, whether complete or incomplete, and to suggest the appropriate investigative steps, if these are not already taken by the police. It is for the police to indicate what action is being taken. A second way to establish equality before the law is to do like what was done in the case of the allegations made against the now deceased former Commissioner of Police, Henry Greene. Because he was the head of the agency that was investigating him on charges of sexual assault, the government called in foreign investigators from Caricom. The government wanted to demonstrate that there were no sacred cows under the laws of Guyana. The Attorney General of

Guyana is the political head of the justice system in Guyana. It is therefore necessary that in the present instance, and especially given the time that the police are taking to conclude the investigation into the allegations made against the Attorney General, that an independent investigating team be cobbled together to take over these investigations. This would be a good way of indicating to the public that equality before the law is not a dead concept in Guyana. But one cannot expect the government to do this. This action cannot be a political action, because the President has already expressed his opinion on what the Attorney General said. It is for the police and the Director of Public Prosecutions to undertake an independent probe of the allegations. The DPP has the power to order such a probe. And so too does the Commissioner of Police. Remember Henry Greene?

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 10, 2014

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Marriott Hotel: Post-colonial madness One day in October, I went to the Pegasus to deliver a document to a Guyanese visiting for the Queen’s College reunion. I drove west on New Market Street, stopped at German’s to pick up some black pudding (yes, I still patronage Clinton Urling’s eatery; so reluctantly) and took Water Street to get to the Pegasus. Given my route, I had to pass the Marriott Hotel to get to the Pegasus. I slowed up to look at this expensive construction and a sharp stab of sadness shook me. Billions of dollars went into a Marriott Hotel and the country’s only university is virtually dying.

This is post-colonial madness. This is the effect of colonialism on the leaders of the Third World. This misplacing of national priorities is an unforgivable sin. You would have thought that as the Third World grew older after Independence, the postcolonial leaders would have learnt their lesson about building majestic highways, sprawling state institutions, ultra-modern airports, when their economy could not have sustained such mammoth expenditure. It was not that these infrastructures were irrelevant. On the contrary they were needed, but as the economy grew, these things would fall into place in time.

This is the path places like Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Mauritius, among others, took in the late fifties and sixties. After industrialization, these infrastructural facilities were constructed. Today, countries like Singapore and Malaysia have high-rises and ultra-modern airports that rival any in the industrialized West. Their futuristic infrastructure is financed by their economy. Guyana has not moved away from monoculture in its economy since the 19th century, and it explains why Guyana remains the second poorest nation in CARICOM and is listed among the poorest in the

world. Yesterday, it was rice and sugar. Today it is gold. From Jagdeo onwards, the government sees its money coming from selling a raw material, as it did more than one hundred years ago. When gold prices go down, the leaders get apoplexy. On such a fragile economy, the PPP leadership built a Marriott with taxpayers’ money, while UG is going downward so fast that most people believe it will not survive another five years. The point is that Guyana should have a Marriott, but not at the expense of its only university, and that is what it is. From where did this money come for a Marriott in a country that is not known at all in the world and therefore does not have substantial influx of people to sustain a Marriott? I seriously doubt President Obama can easily tell you where Guyana is. This is not an indictment of the geography knowledge of President Obama. It is a manifestation of the reality of the world. I do not know the name of the President of Tajikistan. Most people in the

world don’t know what or where Tajikistan is. Why a Marriott when the Princess Hotel at Providence is never even half-filled? Not only is this postcolonial madness; the sheer weight of the immoral content of such a decision makes it an abuse of power that deserves criminal prosecution. In a country that has per capita the highest accident rate in the world, there is hardly a police station with a breathalyzer machine. As a matter of policy, traffic police do not come to the scene of an accident with a breathalyzer when summoned; they simply don’t have the stuff at the station. In the midst of this primitiveness the public purse financed a Marriott Hotel. The Marriott indecency gets into the realm of evil when you think of the skills that would be needed to run the hotel. President Jagdeo in 2010 said in a public interview that the Ministry of Works cannot secure the services of engineers, because the country hasn’t got them. Where is the Marriott going to get over two dozen

Frederick Kissoon particular skills that it needs? Not from the outside world. The CARICOM Secretariat for over thirty-five years cannot secure its quota of non-Guyanese specialists. Caribbean nationals are not inclined to work here. The Marriott has been repeatedly advertising the same vacancies as recent as September. Why was the Marriott born? It is a long story that had to do with Bharrat Jagdeo’s need for a legacy after he found out that he wasn’t going to have any great political or social achievement for which he could be remembered. The Berbice branch of UG never made it big. The Berbice Bridge was very cheap and ugly. So Jagdeo settled for the Marriott. But failure awaits this sordid, fictional, indecent legacy of Guyana’s worst leader.

Wednesday December 10, 2014

Kaieteur News

Bids tendered for Rip Rap river defence at Friendship For the phase one construction of Rip Rap River Defence at Friendship, East Bank Demerara, six bids were opened under the Ministry of Public Works. The bids were opened yesterday at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), Main and Urquhart Streets.

The Public Works Ministry also received bids for the supply of vehicles.

Bids were also tendered under the Agriculture Ministry for the consultancy for life skills training programme for regions two, three, four, five, six and 10.

Still within the sector, the provision of security services for the Anna Regina fish culture station and Satyadeow Sawh Aquaculture station 2015, received a lone bid.

Another single bid was submitted for the National Communications Network Inc. for the construction of a front fence, guard hut, electronic gate and revetment.

And the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation received bids for the rehabilitation of the nursing school.

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Wednesday December 10, 2014

Union strikes deal for 6.5% World reductions in malaria cases, mortality by the end of 2015 - UN raise for Bosai workers Weeks after strike action by Linden’s bauxite workers, an agreement has been reached for a 6.5 per cent across the board increase for unionized workers. According to a joint statement by management of Bosai Minerals Group (Guyana) Inc. (BMGG) and the National Association of Agricultural Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE), snack allowance was also increased to $550. The increases are effective April 01, 2014, and the agreement was signed last Friday at Watooka House, Linden. Signing on behalf of the company were the General Manager, Robert Shang; Accounting Superintendent, Andy Hao; Senior Personnel Officer, Truedel Marks and

Assistant Community Relations Officer, Vanessa Mitchell-Davis. Representing NAACIE were General Secretary, Kenneth Joseph; Vice President and Branch Chairman, Linnell Warden; Vice Chairman, Orin Tieshmaker; Secretary, Aggrey Darlington, Assistant Secretary, Neptrid Hercules and Committee Member, Trevor Henry. In late November, Bosai workers took strike action in Linden protesting a 6 percent increase proposed by Bosai. Secretary of the Linden branch of NAACIE, Aggrey Darlington, had said that the workers were also protesting over news by management that no bonus would be paid this year. According to Darlington, workers wanted 8.5 percent,

but the union had sought to negotiate for at least 7.5 percent. However, management is adamantly sticking to the proposed six percent. He added that set production targets are almost met, so the position being taken by management is unreasonable. Orin Tieshmaker, Vice Chairman of NAACIE Linden Branch, had said that there is a general feeling of dissatisfaction among workers. “We have a structure set out, that is why we can demand our bonus. So if you set up a structure, and if we can achieve our targets and then you’re going to tell us that we can’t receive our bonus, then something has to be wrong.” Tieshmaker said that workers are afraid to voice their concerns, because they fear victimization, and added that the Union is not being respected by management. He drew attention to appalling conditions that workers are forced to work under in the mines, and asked that relevant stakeholders, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the Regional authorities and Minister Robert Persaud look into these concerns.

The United Nations health agency has released a report which reveals that the number of people dying from malaria globally has fallen dramatically with more and more countries moving towards its elimination. “We can win the fight against malaria,” said Dr. Margaret Chan, DirectorGeneral of the UN World Health Organization (WHO), at the launch of the World Malaria Report 2014. “We have the right tools and our defences are working. But we still need to get those tools to a lot more people if we are to make these gains sustainable.” According to the report, analysis across sub-Saharan Africa reveals that despite a 43 per cent population increase, fewer people are infected or carry asymptomatic malaria infections every year: the number of people infected fell from 173 million in 2000 to 128 million in 2013. The report said between 2000 and 2013, access to insecticide-treated bed nets increased substantially. Access to accurate malaria diagnostic testing and

Director-General of WHO, Dr. Margaret Chan effective treatment of the lifethreatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected mosquitoes has also significantly improved worldwide, it said. But globally, an increasing number of countries are moving towards malaria elimination, the report said. In 2013, two countries reported zero indigenous cases for the first time and 11 countries succeeded in maintaining zero cases. While funding to combat

malaria has increased threefold since 2005, it is still only around half of the $5.1 billion that is needed if global targets are to be achieved. “While staying focused on the work ahead, we should note that the number of children dying from malaria today is markedly less than 8 years ago. The world can expect even greater reductions in malaria cases and mortality by the end of 2015, but any death from malaria remains simply unacceptable,” said Ray Chambers, who has served as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Malaria since 2007. Based on an assessment of trends in reported malaria cases, WHO said 64 countries are on track to meet the Millennium Development Goal target of reversing the incidence of malaria. Some 3.2 billion people in 97 countries and territories are at risk of being infected with malaria, according to WHO. Malaria was responsible for an estimated 584,000 deaths worldwide in 2013, killing an estimated 453,000 children under five years of age.

Wednesday December 10, 2014

Kaieteur News

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Attack at Sterling Products Ltd…

Killers were after money safe Police have detained three men and impounded a silvergrey car that may have been used by the gunmen who killed security guard Wilfred Stewart and wounded Indian national Mario Gohill during last Monday’s failed robbery at Sterling Products Limited. Investigators are also going over security camera footage of the attack, and police declined to say whether they had made any significant progress in identifying Stewart’s killers. Kaieteur News was told that investigators were still working up to late last night on the case. Police officials confirmed yesterday that the gunmen were armed with at least one assault rifle and a .32 pistol. Kaieteur News understands that investigators retrieved two 7.62 x 39 casings (used in AK47 assault rifles) and two .32 shells. Police sources said that it appears that the gunmen were aware that a “substantial” sum of cash was being kept in a safe on the premises. However, they were unable to gain access to the safe, despite smashing a window in the area where the safe is located. Kaieteur News also understands that an employee who had the keys for the safe managed to flee

- three persons detained, car impounded to a nearby compound when the gunfire erupted. While initial reports suggest that as many as six gunmen had stormed the premises, a police release issued yesterday stated that three men carried out the attack. The release stated that bandits shot 45-year-old Stewart to his groin while he was in the guard room. “The perpetrators took away the security guard’s service .32 revolver with six rounds and then proceeded to the office area of the building where they shot and wounded chemist Mario Gohill, an Indian National, to his left leg. The men located a safe that was in the office but were unable to open it and subsequently escaped,” the release stated. An eyewitness who narrowly escaped the gunmen told Kaieteur News that he and Stewart were in the security hut when a car stopped outside the compound. He said that “at least ten men,” emerged from the vehicle and barged through the gate. “As soon as this car stopped, all the men run into

the compound and started to shoot. When I see them I run and hide in the yard next door,” the eyewitness said. “Dem see when I run and two of dem run to find me but they didn’t see when I pull out a mesh on the fence and hide in the next yard, so they were searching the compound for me.” He added that while fleeing he heard the gunmen discharge about three gunshots at Stewart. Gohill, who has been working with Sterling Products Limited for the past three months, said that he was in the laboratory when he heard screams. He said before he could have peeped out to see what the commotion was about, a masked man pushed the door open and pointed a gun at him. He said the gunman asked where the money was. “I showed him my bag and he just shoot me and walked out. He didn’t check my bag,” the injured man said. Monday’s brazen attack occurred about 200 metres from the Providence Police Station. Kaieteur News was told that the ranks from the station responded immediately on being alerted about the robbery, but the

gunmen had already fled when they arrived. Police sources insist that the ranks, backed up by mobile patrols on the East Bank of Demerara, had the firepower to confront the intruders. Yesterday, the Guyana Association of Private Security Organizations expressed condolences to Wilfred Stewart’s family. Stewart fathered two daughters and his wife is expecting a third child. “The Guyana Association of Private Security Organizations (GAPSO) is deeply saddened by the senseless and cowardly killing of Security Officer Wilfred Stewart, on 8th December 2014 while on duty. “Officer Stewart was a 10year veteran Security Officer of the Beharry Group of Companies Security Division, attached to the Sterling Products Ltd. The Private Security Industry has been thrown into a state of sorrow as a result of this horribly tragic incident.” “Security Officers provide a difficult, dangerous, and often thankless work of safeguarding and protecting. As we mourn Officer Stewart,

Wilfred Stewart let us also remember it is a dangerous job that people take for granted. Fortunately, this incident does not happen that often, but it can happen. Nevertheless, with unflinching commitment, Security Officers protect our schools and businesses; and keep us safe as we go about our lives. To Officer Stewart’s family, we owe an unpayable debt. And to the men and women who carry his mission forward, we owe our unyielding support.” “Just as Security Officers

are trained to never let down their guard, we must never let slide our thanks. We should extend our thanks not only in times of tragedy, but for every tragedy averted - every accident avoided because of the actions of Security Officers. In other words, we must show our gratitude every day to Security Officers because of the job they have chosen to do. “GAPSO urges the Police Investigators to now obtain satisfactory answers to the questions surrounding the facts and circumstances of this incident. It is essential that investigators take swift action, providing answers and assuring the perpetrators are brought to justice. This will help ensure a similar act is not committed against other Security Officers. GAPSO will continue to provide all necessary resources so that Security Officers can get the job done, while investing in training to prepare those on the front lines for potentially deadly situations. “At this time the Guyana Association of Private Security Organizations members’ thoughts and hearts are with Officer Stewart’s wife, two children and his family and friends. Our prayer is that God will encourage them in this difficult time.”

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Wednesday December 10, 2014

Production bonus, salary increase announced for sugar workers GuySuCo and GAWU officials meeting recently.

Sugar workers have been awarded four and a half days pay for this year’s production. In the face of a financial crisis, payment is expected no later than February 27th, 2015. The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) also announced yesterday that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) will be paying a four percent increase later this

month, despite a deep financial crisis facing the industry. The industry’s production for the year stood at 209,949 tonnes, still shy of the targeted 216,000 tonnes set for this year. GAWU officials said that it is likely that the target will be met, with grinding to end on December 19. According to GAWU, Chief Labour Officer (CLO) Charles Ogle, provided conciliatory services to the union and GuySuCo after the parties reached an impasse at the end of two sessions, on November 26 and December 3. “Because of the deep

financial crisis facing the industry, GAWU said that the workers would receive their incentive not later than February 27, 2015, rather than around the second week in January 2015.” “Meanwhile, the Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), assured the Union and workers that the Corporation would pay the 4 per cent in wages/salary retroactive payments from January 01, 2014 on December 19, 2014. The retroactive payment would be from January 01 to October 04, 2014 since the increased pay rates have been implemented from October 05, 2014.” In November, Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy said the industry is likely to meet the original 216,000 tonnes sugar set. Last year, the industry fell to a 23-year low of just 187,000 tonnes. But with a better than

expected first crop, the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) had earlier this year confidently revised the target upwards to 219,000 tonnes. “We have enough cane in the fields, and therefore, once we have the right weather, I have no doubt that we will be able to meet that target. I am hopeful that by the end of next week we will surpass the 200,000-tonne target mark,” Ramsammy said in a Government-released statement. Speaking on the issue of sugar export, the Minister said the export markets are guaranteed and there is no difficulty in this area. According to Ramsammy, because of the short production in recent years, the Caribbean market was not supplied as it should. An agreement was reached where the regional tax was waived so that member countries of CARICOM could import from outside. However, earlier this year, Guyana indicated that it would meet the demands for the Caribbean suppliers.

“So we continue to supply markets in the Caribbean and Europe and we continue to have a demand for Guyana’s sugar and sugar products, so I’m not worried that in increasing our production that we may have market problems.” This year had been the first time in the last few years that GuySuCo, struggling with labour shortages, weather and technical problems, would even be contemplating announcing any targets above projections set at the beginning of the year. H o w e v e r , Parliamentarians were remaining cautious, demanding this year that GuySuCo table, at the soonest, a multi-year plan that will spell out the strategy of the sugar industry for at least the next five years. The reasons were simple. GuySuCo has been recording a string of poor performances, grounding to a 23-year low last year with 187,000 tonnes. This was down from the 260,000 tonnes announced at the beginning of 2013. This

year, the industry was a little more hesitant, setting a target of 216,000 tonnes. The industry remains a critical one for Guyana, last year earning US$116M for the country. Its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) remained a steady 58% in the last few years, despite severe challenges. GuySuCo has remained a largely touchy issue for both the ruling party and the Opposition because of the sheer number of workers. The sugar industry remains the largest employer for the country with 16,000 workers, 300 suppliers and about 100,000 persons indirectly dependent on its factories. The Oppositioncontrolled house has been approving billions of dollars in cash to keep the industry afloat as workers moved away in droves to the gold bush and the better-paying construction sector. Its flagship US$200M factory at Skeldon has failed to live up to expectations. GuySuCo is hoping that it can return to profitability by next year.

Wednesday December 10, 2014

Kaieteur News

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APNU protestors wear black to mourn “death of democracy”

A section of the protestors outside the Office of the President yesterday. By Abena Rockcliffe Leaders and supporters of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) yesterday mounted protest action outside of the Office of the President for the eighth consecutive week, to register their disapproval about the way Guyana is being governed. However, this demonstration was quite different. The majority of those who gathered were attired in black, and unlike previous weeks, the protestors had no placards neither did they chant slogans. This, the coalition’s leader, David Granger said, was done to indicate the fact that APNU views this period as a time for mourning. Granger told the media that APNU and its supporters are mourning “the death of democracy in Guyana”. He added that the death of the Tenth Parliament and the trust in the Executive was also being mourned “so it is three in one.” Granger said that the series of announcements that President Donald Ramotar has been making since the

beginning of November to Saturday last, gives a clear indication that he intentionally chose to remove democracy from the Republic of Guyana Granger emphasised that the President cannot recapture the trust that has been lost, “it’s gone; it is too late.” The Opposition leader referred to the President as “the author of mischief” and said that all concerns as to the state of affairs in Guyana should be addressed to him. Granger was at the time referring to sentiments expressed by the Private Sector Commission (PSC) last week. The Commission had called for all political parties to address the issues facing Guyana, including the prorogation of Parliament, in a mature manner. The body asked that the Opposition and the government to meet each other halfway. But Granger said yesterday, that the government never showed an interest in that kind of agreement. He added that the PSC needs to ask the

President why he did not assent to all the Bills that the Commission made reference to in its call for compromise. The Opposition leader said that “the fault lies entirely with President Ramotar as he had an agenda from the beginning of the year, doing everything with intent to fully destroy democracy”. Granger told the media that President Ramotar had three years of troubled tenure. He said that the effects of that tenure are no parliament and no democracy “he erased everything, it’s

just a dictatorship”. APNU has been protesting for just over two months outside the President’s Office. Initially geared towards putting pressure on the President to name a date for the 20 years’ overdue Local Government Elections, but after the President prorogued the Parliament on November 10, the aim of the protest was redirected. The call is now for the return of democracy. APNU executive members such as Rupert Roopnaraine, Ronald Bulkan, George

Yassin cross-examined... (From page 6) Guyana; it was in New York. Yassin noted that he subsequently withdrew as a participant in the continuing negotiations for the acquisition of shares in GSL because he and Mr. Reaz Khan could not get along. In June 2000, Yassin said that he was asked by Brassington if he would be able to conclude the deal within two months, since that was the time given by Cabinet to close the deal. He said that he quickly agreed since he wanted to close the negotiations. Yassin explained however that he was not affiliated with RII; that he had to buy shares from Khan and close the deal in the name of the company which had already secured the tender. The cross-examination will continue when the matter resumes on January 29, 2015.

Norton, Winston Felix, Ernest Elliot, Christopher Jones, Annette Ferguson, and Lance

Carberry were among those who protested with the opposition leader yesterday.

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Wednesday December 10, 2014

AFC’s pro-democracy proposal poses - Greenidge negotiating challenges By Kiana Wilburg The recent proposal by Alliance For Change (AFC) leader, Khemraj Ramjattan to have a pro-democracy alliance is perceived by some politicians to be wise, but A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s financial point man, Carl Greenidge believes otherwise. He holds the view that Ramjattan’s initiative will pose some negotiating challenges. Ramjattan made the announcement in an address to his party’s conference which was held at the St. Stanislaus College auditorium. “Hard decisions would have to be made, and indeed the AFC is ready to enter, if necessary, into negotiations and to lead a pro-democracy alliance of progressive forces that is comprised of civic groups, workers’ unions,

political forces…and by political forces here we are talking about even PPP members who have been disenchanted with the performance of the PPP thus far, and even APNU,” he had said to a loud round of applause. Greenidge said that Ramjattan has, in the past, maintained that his party would not join A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), whose major constituent is the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) that had governed Guyana from 1964 to 1992. The politician reminded that the AFC, which has been tapping into the traditional East Indian support-base of the governing PPPC, has in the past reasoned that it wanted to preserve its identity as an alternative to both major parties. Ramjattan, he said, then

sought to justify the shift towards engaging APNU by arguing that there was need for collective patriotic action and cooperation of all Guyanese in undertaking the “herculean task” of voting out the ruling party. Greenidge noted that the AFC Leader had said that the time has come for a true government of national unity “one in which the politics of inclusion reigns over the politics of fear and division.” He also took into account that Ramjattan said that the AFC wants to “lead” such a movement. “We have the capacity to lead such a pro-democracy alliance, because we feel at this stage the reform nature of the Alliance For Change, its concepts on constitutional reform, governance issues and, of course, integrity in leaders that have emerged out of this party, it is necessary

that we lead in that process,” Ramjattan had said. Even with such an initiative, Greenidge said that the question of negotiation skills will again be an issue, if the proposal is to materialize and bear fruit. He sought to highlight that while Ramjattan is ready to “lead” a broad prodemocracy coalition, including APNU, to remove the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) from government, his coalition (APNU) had said the same thing during the course of its launch in 2011, and has been calling for a coalition with the AFC, a bait which he noted that the AFC leadership has not bitten. “Indeed, in the recent past, the AFC, faced with the prospect of helping the APNU to bring down the PPP Government, declined or baulked at the opportunity. They probably did so in the mistaken belief that the PPP regime wanted to see a better Guyana and could be persuaded to accept outside input which could help in the process needed to restore the administration and the behaviour of its members to some acceptable standards and levels of decency, as regards corruption and abuse of executive power. They are now wiser. The story peddled in the corridors, of President Donald Ramotar wanting to effect change but being prevented by his predecessor’s henchmen is just that, a story. The PPP leadership of Ramotar is quite comfortable with its level of

corruption and abuse of power.” “Whatever the reason, the AFC has thrown down the gauntlet,” he said. Greenidge said that the AFC has now adopted a position the majority of the electorate has been willing to embrace for at least six months now. Further, the politician noted that the practice in negotiations is for the first offer to reflect a maximum position, the best possible outcome for the proposer. He said that the skills required of such an exercise should not however be under-estimated. Greenidge said that the Opposition leadership will be put to the test to demonstrate that it has the very negotiating skills which the PPP demonstrably lacks. DIFFICULTY NEGOTIATING WITH THE PPP Greenidge sought to make the point that the current administration will pose difficulties for the process of meaningful negotiations as demonstrated before on constitutional matters to say the least. He emphasised that engraved in the PPP government’s psyche is a cuss-out-and-mislead culture, hence its actions reflect scathing and damning acts of corruption, as opposed to those which show that it is interested in achieving some element of common goals by way of meaningful negotiations. He opined that the PPP’s view is that they are dealing

APNU’s Carl Greenidge with political inferiors or election-losers rather than p o r t e - p a r o l e (spokespersons). “That is why, prior to any negotiation, the PPP embarks on a barrage of insults and abuse. It is unbelievable that anyone could believe that prior to the start of AntiMoney Laundering negotiations in a Parliamentary setting where the PPP needs the support of the Opposition, the President can call the other side criminals and antinationalists, prior the Amaila negotiations, and threatened to not cooperate and even to prorogue the Assembly on the pretext that it is for the purposes of dialogue. “The President has done every one of these things, each of which is guaranteed to derail negotiations. He has apparently been surprised at the negative consequences. This indecency continues and is reflected in secret and (Continued on page 26)

Wednesday December 10, 2014

Kaieteur News

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NGO’s input helping to curtail HIV in Region One The notion that NonGovernmental Organisations (NGOs) have been particularly instrumental in helping to tackle the spread of HIV/AIDS was yesterday emphasised by Executive Director of Youth Challenge Guyana (YCG), Mr Dmitri Nicholson. Nicholson, during an interview with this publication, pointed out that while Government through the Ministry of Health has been working tirelessly in this regard by making available needed services, NGOs have however been able to make an immense impact at the level of the communities. “We have seen that NGOs are able to reach people in places where Government may not be able to, and at times that Government may not be able to as well,” the Executive Director said. He further informed too that “there have been places that we have gone where people tell us that it is only Youth Challenge that comes to this particular location to do (HIV) testing for instance.” And according to him, achieving a zero level of transmission is certainly within reach as “we have had fewer reported cases in HIV prevention among the population that we have targeted for testing and that for us is an indicator that there is already some degree

...as plans apace to expand health care services

YCG Executive Director, Dmitri Nicholson of change.” This development is coupled with the fact that there have been more people who have been accessing measures, such as condoms, to safeguard themselves. But although funding for the HIV/AIDS fight has been in place for many years, there has been a very noticeable reversal of this funding trend. And the dwindling donor funds, Nicholson said, could very well undermine the efforts plugged into the fight against HIV. “Our fear is that the gains that we have had with more resources could be lost with fewer resources.” But there is a solution to the problem, Nicholson noted, as he revealed that already efforts are being made to solicit support from the business sector.

The business sector is particularly being targeted as, according to the Executive Director, it is more likely to be severely impacted if the virus is not controlled. This is in light of the fact that HIV has over the years been mostly affecting the productive faction of the population. “We would like the private sector to become more involved at the local level, because NGOs are not able to sustain some of the work that we do, because it is heavily dependent on external resources (global). If more local organisations are able to support what NGOs are doing it creates greater avenues for you to be able to diversify the types of things that you can offer,” Nicholson said. And the need for diversification is important, as according to him, people are no longer looking to only be tested for HIV but rather, they desire more. “People don’t want to keep hearing about HIV alone anymore, so they would like to know what new things that you are offering.” This is the basis on which YCG has decided to expand its services. “Even though our programme focuses on HIV, Youth Challenge Guyana tries to maintain optimal health through our health

Message from UN Association... (From page 22) published thoughts of Thomas Hobbes, Descartes, Condorcet, Tom Paine and John Locke, John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham, Lafayette, Voltaire, Montesquieu and Rousseau and the inspired popular expressions culminating in the French and American Revolutions. More recently in our time and space, these rights and freedoms have been earnestly promoted by Hubert Critchlow, Forbes Burnham, Cheddi Jagan and Eusi Kwayana of Guyana; Norman and Michael Manley and Alexander Bustamante of Jamaica; C.L.R. James, Eric Williams and Arthur Cipriani of Trinidad; Albert Marryshow and Maurice Bishop of Grenada; and Fidel Castro of Cuba.

We are life savers, you should be one too! Donate blood today!!

It is vitally important that people who live in democratic societies do not take these rights for granted, complacently assuming that they will be automatically translated into their individual lives and into the societies in which they live. In this regard, the words of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon are of perennial significance: “I call on States to honour their obligations to protect human rights every day of the year. I call on people to hold their govern-

ments to account.” The need is constant and continuing for active surveillance of human rights and freedoms, for consistent maintenance of the municipal and international machinery installed for their protection; and for unflagging assertion and exercise of them; of those self-evident truths on which these rights and freedoms are based - even to the point, if necessary, where we have got to sacrifice all else in order to protect them against erosion and destruction.

programme, and not just talking about HIV.” Even as YCG anticipates support from the local business sector, Nicholson pointed out that through its Advancing Partners and Communities Project, which is funded by USAID, efforts will from next year be made to offer additional services. These, he disclosed, will be offered in collaboration with the Regional Health Services and will include blood pressure testing, information sharing on nutrition, and tropical diseases that are in the Region. However, he noted that YCG will seek to sustain its HIV programme with a view of emphasising the need for behavioural changes to ensure that people do not put themselves at risk for contracting the disease. “Some people feel that because they got a (HIV) test one time and it was negative they can have risky

behaviours because they think they are invincible or something,” Nicholson emphasised. Formerly, the YCG HIV programme catered mainly to the population of Region One that is most at risk of contracting HIV – miners and commercial sex workers. This has seen focus being directed to testing, distribution of condoms, and education about HIV prevention, to the target population. The HIV programme is one that has been in place for the past 14 years, but according to Nicholson, the past year saw an increased number of persons seeking to be tested. Additionally, he informed that there have been reports of greater consistency in the number of sex workers using condoms during their sexual encounters, while more miners have been asking for YCG field officers to visit their sites to conduct Voluntary Counselling and Testing

activities. Even residents of the area have been taking advantage of the service offered by YCG, Nicholson said. “I think that we have been effective because we are finding fewer people who are showing up as HIV-positive, and our referral services for persons living with HIV have also been 80 per cent effective, where most of the clients have actually accessed HIV health care services if they are living with HIV,” said Nicholson. According to him, too, one key feature of YCG’s efforts is that sex workers are able to communicate with social workers on an ongoing basis. YCG, through its outreach effort, has also been able to help emphasise the need for human rights and stigma and discrimination issues to be addressed at hospitals and health centres in the Region. This has resulted in persons visiting the health facilities there claiming that they are friendlier.

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 10, 2014

Guyanese payroll director guilty in Atlanta hospital fraud Atlanta, US - A federal jury in Atlanta has convicted the former payroll director of Grady Memorial Hospital of stealing more than $480,000 from the hospital. After a four-day trial, the jury on Dec. 5 convicted Donald Thomas, 55, of six counts of theft, six counts of wire fraud and two counts of bank fraud involving 134 fraudulent transactions. Thomas, formerly of Atlanta, now lives in Plano, Texas. Thomas served as assistant controller of the Grady Memorial Hospital Corp. from December 1994 to June 2011. Prosecutors said

the thefts occurred from January 2008 through June 2011 while Thomas was in charge of the payroll for Grady’s 5,500 employees and had access to the payroll system and employees’ payroll records. In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Sally Yates said, “Thomas embezzled from a long-standing public institution that provides medical care to the poor and underserved in the Atlanta area and beyond. By its guilty verdict, the jury has held him accountable for stealing from taxpayers and Grady’s patients.”

J. Britt Johnson, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Atlanta office, said “At a time when health care institutions such as Grady Hospital are under the strain to meet the needs of their community, to include those served by publicly funded programs, the criminal actions of former Grady Hospital payroll director Thomas are all that more egregious.” Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 25 by U.S. Senior District Judge Charles Pannell Jr. Thomas has asked that he be released on bond pending his sentencing. Thomas’ attorney, Janice Singer-Capek, of Atlanta’s Thompson-Singer, could not be reached for comment. According to federal prosecutors, Thomas used his access to individual payroll records to fabricate unearned vacation pay and severance pay for employees who had been terminated, prosecutors said. Thomas would then add the fabricated funds to the payroll records of employees who had already left Grady, replacing those terminated employees’ bank accounts with his own personal bank account number, prosecutors said. In at least two instances,

Thomas generated checks made payable to terminated employees whose signatures he forged, then deposited the funds in his own account, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said that Thomas’ thefts were discovered after a terminated employee contacted the hospital to inform them that her 2011 W-2 tax form showed more compensation than she had earned. A subsequent investigation revealed that her payroll records had been

altered and additional pay had been paid by the hospital in her name. Thomas attempted to cover up his crimes by reversing most of the fraudulent changes he had made, but in a few instances, he failed to do so, and, as a result, additional wages and compensation were erroneously added to several employees’ year-end W-2 forms, prosecutors said. Thomas, who is originally from Guyana, and his wife, Mary Derheimer, sued Grady

in 2011 after both were terminated as part of a reduction in force, claiming that the hospital engaged in “race-based manipulation of its personnel policies.” The couple claimed that Grady had eliminated their jobs because Derheimer is white and she is married to Thomas, a black man. The couple dismissed the suit in 2012 after the FBI began investigating Thomas, who was indicted by a federal grand jury the following year. (dailyreportonline.com)

‘Global Shapers’ hosts successful fund-raising workshop “A truly inspiring, learning event,” was how many described “The Ultimate Communications Workshop 2014” which was recently hosted by the Global Shapers Georgetown Hub last Saturday at Duke Lodge, Kingston. The event was met with great praise from over 100 attendants. The workshop served as a fund-raising event for the Hub’s “Save The Libraries” project which seeks to build the first library in the community of Sophia. This will be complemented by literacy and reading classes for young children. The total funds made from this event were just over $400,000, which will enable the Georgetown Hub to start construction. The speakers were Dr. Dawn Stewart, who gave a powerful presentation on public speaking; Godfrey Scott, who meticulously outlined how to craft effective letters and proposals; Sherod Duncan, who delivered a riveting presentation about General Communication Skills, often bringing the audience to roaring laughter, and Dr. Rosh Khan, who spoke on the dynamics of social media and how to leverage the various social media platforms for greater connections and enhanced ‘employability’. Ryan Hoppie, also delved

- In aid of constructing library for Sophia into the importance of great customer service and involved the audience in a number of activities. The workshop was chaired by Mr. Gregory Shaw. One attendee, Ms. Ayana McCalman said that the speakers made great use of technology and each of the presentations were very engaging. “As a lawyer and a communicator, I am always eager to expand my communication skills.Attending the workshop certainly gave me techniques that would enhance my communication, presentation and proposal-writing skills. I definitely expanded my ability to communicate and connect. As a young Guyanese, this makes me positively optimistic about Guyana’s future.” Another attendee, Shane Pearce, from Sambora Communications, said, “I learned a lot, freshened up skills, and reawakened my creative juices. The content was new and distinctive. Facilitators were engaging and conveyed intelligent ideas that were funny, useful and very applicable.” The Georgetown Hub also expressed much

appreciation for its sponsors which included Roraima Duke Lodge and Southland International. Due to the positive feedback from the workshop, the Georgetown Hub plans to carry out a series of similar events of varying topics in 2015. Updates about the ‘Save the libraries’ project and the Global Shapers Community Georgetown Hub are available on www.fb.com/ GeorgetownGYShapers. The Global Shapers Community is a worldwide network of more than 350 citybased hubs developed and led by promising young leaders between the ages of 20 and 30, who want to build on their achievements and entrepreneurial drive to make a positive contribution to their communities. Together, they embody the “community of the future”, bringing together empowered youth in a community that is diverse, decentralized, and digitally hyper connected. The Global Shapers Community is an initiative of the World Economic Forum and is independent, neutral, nonpolitical and not for profit.

AFC’s pro-democracy proposal... (From page 16) extensive land grants and concessions to Indian nationals (such as Indian Conglomerate Ajeenkya DY Patil) and Trinidian firms in the Canje Basin, an important wetland, without any reference to damage to the environment (EIA) or consideration of the wishes of local communities,” Greenidge stated. He also asserted that a competent negotiator seeks to establish confidence in his/ her good intentions inside and outside of the negotiating room. In light of

this, the PPP’s General Secretary Clement Rohee, he said, is very fond of calling for good faith whenever the question of negotiation arises. In fact, the APNU financial point man said that the question of good faith arises because of the PPP’s failure to deliver on agreements. He said that the government’s justification has been simply that it exercises state power by virtue of being declared winners of national elections. The former Finance Minister is of the belief that abuse is used to great effect

by the PPP in domestic politics. He said that from the case of the late Dr. Desrey Fox, former Minister in the Ministry of Education, to PNC turncoats, all were “mercilessly abused” in a process intended to weaken them publicly, along with actions aimed at undermining their economic status. He said that they were then offered places at the PPP table in return for abusing their former allies. In the process, the political credibility of these persons Greenidge opined has actually been destroyed.

Wednesday December 10, 2014

Kaieteur News

MAN HOMELESS AFTER KITTY INFERNO The neighbours’ scorched building

What remains of the razed house in Kitty.

A man whose name was given as Gregory Isaacs was rendered homeless after his lot 67 Public Road Kitty home went up in flames in the wee hours of yesterday morning. An adjacent building was scorched. According to neighbours the fire started at around 2 a.m. One resident speaking to this publication said that she awoke to “crackling sounds and yelling from persons”. Another neighbour, Donette Griffith, says she was awakened by her cousin’s wife who called on her to summon the fire service. Griffith further stated that Isaacs, who was reportedly sitting on his stairs at the time, was eating when he saw the fire and attempted to save his items from the house, but neighbours shouted for him not to go back inside the house since it was ablaze. He tried but eventually had to jump to save himself. He sustained injuries in the process. A neighbour reported some water damage to furniture and a motorcycle was also damaged by the fire.

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TO LET Fully furnished one bedroom apartment (air conditioned) - Call: 623-2923 Address – 7 Durban St. Lodge: 2 bedrooms apartment for rent – Tel:6875324 One two bedroom bottom flat apartment @ C/Ville also Business Space @ C/Ville – Call: 650-0716/667-7836 Rooms in Alberttown & rooms & apartments in Eccles. Call: 225-3234 Bedroom bottom flat apartments; preferably single person – Call: 689-6965

SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. – CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Permanent & Visitors Visa Applications, Professional Immigration Consultant Room D5 Maraj Building Call Sabita: 225-6496, 662-6045 Guyana Passport & Visa Forms Application, USA, Canada and England. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535. Repairs & spare, fridge, freezer, A/C, washers, stoves. Contact Nick: 683-1312, 627-3206 Repairs, sales & spares air conditioning, microwaves, washer, fridges & stoves. Ultra Cool, call: 225-9032, 647-2943 REPAIRS AT LOW COST: FRIDGES, AIRCONDITIONERS, WASHING MACHINES, TVS, MICROWAVES, FREEZERS- CALL: 6294946 OR 225-4822 Custom Brokerage Services: let is handle all your import/ export needs- Contact D. Bess on 6708782. We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer Call Omar: 2310655,683-8734 2015 Calendars Personalised and beautiful designs @ City Printery, 58 Ornaque & Robb Streets -Tel: 225-4968, 621-3345 Magicjack!! Magicjack!! Magicjack!! (Authorised Dealer) Renewal/Repairs/ Troubleshooting Laptop Screens/Batteries/ Keyboards Computer/Printer Repairs, Call: 231-9429

CAR RENTAL DOLLY’S CAR RENTAL CALL: 225-7126/ 2263693 DOLLYSAUTO RENTAL@YAHOO.COM/ WWW.DOLLYSAUTO RENTAL.COM

LEARN TO DRIVE Soman Son & Outar Driving School at Maraj BuildingTel: 644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997 Driving classes @ 3540 Stevedore Housing Scheme, North Ruimveldt, Georgetown – Call: 655-1534, 225-6337

CAR RENTAL PROGRESSIVE AUTO RENTAL:CARS&SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 2193900, EMAIL: PRO_AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO.COM Aidan’s Car & Pickup rental, cheap rate, low security – Tel:698-7807;690-6494 EDUCATIONAL Pre- Christmas Give away $25,000 OFF 9 Course Computer Diploma. Promotion ends this week! Micrographics, Vreed- EnHoop. Call: 264-3057

FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 GT TOOL RENTALS: COMPACTOR; CHIPPING HAMMER RANSOM & FLOOR SANDER, (SALE) AND MORE, SAWS & DRILLS -$10,000 - CALL: 675-0767, 667-2535 Executive Residence – centrally and beautifully located in Bel-Air Springs, Georgetown for immediate occupancy. Ph 226-6229, 2265903 Metal Scaffold for rent- Call: 623-6586 or 225-7607 Five bedrooms house, 107 Lamaha Gardens & Large Parking; AC Rooms Hot & Cold, Purified Water System – Call: 661-8908, 335-3590 One business place for rent @ Stewartville W.C.D, opposite School – Call: 6135261 Restaurant for rent, great location, Soesdyke Linden Highway - $50,000 per month; must have business expense – Call:600-0036

LAND FOR SALE Parika (Butcher Shop Street) – One (1) Lot 38' X 150' $ 7m - Contact 650-0402 - for serious inquiries Blankenburg @ The Back Of Gas Station (3) Lots @ 75' X 76' Each. $20M for all 3 Lots. (1) Lot for $10m - Contact 650-0402 One residential land at Herstelling -$4.5M – Tel:6610618; 601-3469 Large Land (37’X724’) Bagotville West Bank; great for residential and farming $5.7M – Call: 600-0036; 2231273 Cheap Gold land for sale @ Berbice River – Call:600-0036 HEALTH NIS voucher special; Free eye exam, free case, premium frame & lenses. 71 Brickdam – Call:226-5489

VACANCY Work from home & earn $5,000-$20,000 daily; www.jobfairworldwide.com Tel:233-6517; 622-1957; 9am5pm Mon-Fri & Saturday 10am-4pm International Cruiseline Purser officers, waitresses, waiters, cooks, receptionists, storekeepers, cleaners, electricians, carpenters, plumbers, musicians etc – Tel: 231-6296, 650-9880 One female clerk – Call: 2315171 1 Lorry Driver 3-5yrs experienced police clearance, 2 references, apply @ KBR Distribution Services, 173 Mandela Ave. Thirst Park – Tel:231-4069 Hauler driver; must have a valid tractor license, apply in person to Alabama Trading, Georgetown Ferry Steeling. Live in housekeeper, to care for infant; 35-45yrs – Call: 697-8797 Immediate: Ice machine operators (training provided) & night security to work @ Ice Factory in Meadow Bank – Call: 231-1408; 642-9191 Porters; rip saw and moulder operator – Call Richard: 6097675; 233-2614 Vacancy: Exist at GME Realty for real estate agents or salesperson; please text Mr. Waaldijk: 618-7483

PROPERTY FOR SALE Transported Property @ Grove/Diamond, 3 bedrooms, 1 self-contained, concrete fence, grilled store room & Shed, (45X26) – Call: 660-1353,216-4338 1 Massive 2- story concrete house & land @ Public Road, Vreed-En-Hoop, can be used for business or residence Call:626-2237, 602-3294 Two storey business property at the corner of Ketley and Howes Street Charlestown – Call:623-9679 Property @ Meadowbrook Drive: four bedrooms, 3 bathrooms – Tel:664-5199; 675-7043 One unfinished house in West Minister - $4.5M- Call: 661-0618, 601-3469 (size: 20X47) 2 STORIED 3 BEDROOMS CONCRETE & WOODEN PROPERTY ON LARGE LAND 300FTX40FT, IN BERBICE, NEAR CANJE BRIDGE. CALL MAX: 6098132, 672-8569 FOR SALE/RENT American Pool Table – Call: 277- 0578

Wednesday December 10, 2014

FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. Spare for washing machine, microwaves, fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, pumps, etc call: 225-9032, 647-2943 1 Double door fridge $165,000; 1 New Rigid 3600 W generator - $170,000, 1 Washer and Dryer Maytag $120,000 each – Tel: 672-7194 Two 15" RCF Speaker MB15H401 series with box – Tel:686-5341 or 654-2847 Complete Snapper Boats for sale – Excellent Condition – Contact: 648-6815; 641-4506 Playstation laptop, desktop, Xbox360, notebook tablet – Call: 223-1273; 223-1719 PICK YOUR PIG! CHOOSE YOUR SIZEAND WE WILL HAVE IT READY! CALL:266-2711 OR 6094594 Two forklifts Clarke & Toyota 5000lbs, wood mizer XT40 sawmill, fire proof explosion proof safe – Call: Paul: 612-7206; 619-7393 Games for PS2, PS3, XBOX360, WII, consoles also available – Call: 672-2566, 265-3232 Used Dell E4300, E6500 M4400, HP Elite Book 6930 Laptops – Contact Sean: 226-9377 Panel indicating light, Genset exhaust box, contractors & relay. Tel: 6277835 Perkins Engines: One 6 Cylinder - $400,000, One 4 Cylinder - $300,000, 3" Water Pumps - $60,000, GPS $60,000 – Call:693-2237 Outboard Engine - $300,000, Bedford Model M 4X4 $3.5M Negotiable – Trailer $80,000 – Call:693-2237 Lumber: Crab wood boards and planks, greenheart etc, (rough & dressed) excellent prices – Call Richard: 6097675/ 233-2614; 674-1705 Exercise equipment: Treadmill, cardio, bicycle, infant bed, swing & high chair – Call:6001329 Xbox ONE, Xbox 360 - $40,000, PS3 - $35,000, Nintendo 3DS $25,000, PSP - $16,000. Call:621-7497/603-8643 Two super scoop bass box with two RCF p300 18" Speakers – Tel: 623-9679 Rubberized Tarpaulins for sale 20X20 - $20,000, any size available – Tel: 600-0498 VEHICLE FOR SALE Christmas Sale! 2003 Toyota Premio - $2.2M; never registered – Tel: 617-2891

WANTED One receptionist/secretary, experienced required. Send application & CV to 48 High Street, Werk-En-Rust, G/ Town. One domestic cleaner, E.C.D – Tel:644-9802 Drivers with lorry licence apply @ Wieting & Richter Ltd. Female janitors, between ages 25-40 years – Call: 2258066 Experienced Roti/Puri cooks, Pastry makers, kitchen assistant; apply at Hack’s Halaal – Lot 5 Commerce Street One experienced bus driver; must be 45 years or older; zone 45 – Contact:666-9534 Experienced truck driver, for the interior – Contact:2269768. Female worker needed, 3 CXC subject or sound secondary school education- Call: 612-1607 One manager to work at an out of town Hotel – Call: 2269768, 642-7963, 629-0037 Bartenders to work at an out of town hotel – Call:226-9768 Receptionist, maid to work shift at Hilton Crest Hotel – 25yrs and over, must be experienced – Call:223-6284 1 Female cleaner to work in snackette & bar , must know to cook, age 20-35yrs – Tel:647-7432, 223-5798 Bartender, kitchen assistant, waitress, ASAP @ Streem Café & Bar : Oronoque & Robb St. Must have ID – Phone: 658-6873 (apply In person) Shop assistant to work in the interior salary $80,000 – Tel:688-5409; 664-5199; 6757043 One experienced driver for one 32 Zone minibus. Call: 629-2302, 610-3081 One live in domestic to work in Diamond; age 25-45 – Salary $60,000 – Tel:6885409; 664-5199 Hire car driver @ Gem’s Taxi Service – Call: 667-9013, 2255075 Contract cars & hire car drivers at Atlas Taxi Service – Tel:218-5593; 218-5594 VEHICLE FOR SALE Toyota Prado, Price$5.5M Neg. Call: 643-2403 AT192, 212, Allion, unregistered Premio, Hilux Surf, BNN, RZ & Pit-bull, 7 seater super custom. Cash / terms- Call:680-3154 PRR IST, Body Kit, mags, music, chrome, kit, crystal HID Lights - $1.7M, Best Offer- Tel: 617-7113 (Continued on page 29)

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Brazil/Guyana fibre optic cable project collapses More than four years after an agreement was signed between Guyana and Brazil for a fibre optic cable to link Government facilities, the project appears to have collapsed because of technical issues. It would appear certain now that billions of dollars have gone down the drain, unless Government finds a way to rescue the venture. According to a Government source close to the project, continuous breakage to the cable has left the project in limbo. Time and again the deadlines have been pushed back. The cable passes through difficult terrain along the Linden/ Lethem trail. Logistics have reportedly caused major headaches for contractors. It was indicated that initially little thought went into the project as Government itself reported

Cable being laid at Kuru Kuru, Soesdyke/Linden Highway, in 2011. that cables not of the correct lengths were ordered. Independent supervisors

Health official re-emphasises country’s Ebola preparedness In a single word, Director of Communicable Diseases, Dr Morris Edwards, was able to answer a question as to whether the Ministry of Health’s preparedness to deal with the Ebola Virus is where it should be. “Yes,” said Dr Edwards as he went on to qualify his answer by pointing out that Guyana not only has mechanisms in place to monitor the virus, but that personnel attached to the health sector have been well trained in this regard. Although it was earlier this year that several reports surfaced of the recent outbreak of the virus in sections of West Africa, Dr Edwards informed that the epidemic had been detected since last year December. He pointed out that while up to recently there were cases amounting to 16,000 reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the majority of those cases have remained in West Africa. Only five cases have been reported outside of that section of the country. He shared his conviction that the only way that Ebola could have spread outside of West Africa would have been through the movement of people who have visited there or have been in contact with people or animals from that part of the world who have had the disease. Dr Edwards intimated too that “people have been sensitised, so the likelihood of travellers going there and exposing themselves is small; not zero but small.”

Dr. Morris Edwards, Director of Communicable Diseases He disclosed further that there are currently ongoing exit screening activities in place for travellers leaving West Africa, even as he emphasised that there are no direct flights from that Region to this part of the world. “You have to go through Europe or you have to go through the United States...before you travel to those countries. You have to do exit screening, so persons who could have been exposed to Ebola, they will then be interviewed...so they will go through layers of screening,” asserted Dr Edwards. Even when they arrive to territories of the region, Guyana and its neighbours, there is continued screening and continued monitoring of persons who would have travelled from West Africa. This is in order to ensure that if they persons develop symptoms they could be Continued on page 30

hired to monitor the project were reportedly fired. Physical works for the laying of 560 kilometres of cable began in April 2011. Poor weather conditions and the absence of appropriate equipment were cited for the

slothfulness of contractors. Several of them were fired. Government had even reportedly resorted to foreign help in moving the cable project forward. On the Brazil side, Globonet, a sidsidiary of Oi,

the largest telephone company of that neighbouring country, had landed the fibre optic cable. Under the agreement, Guyana was reportedly paying US$150,000 annually for internet connectivity. It is unclear what is happening to these fees now that the project remains incomplete. The more-than-US$32M project is headed by Alexei Ramotar, son of the country’s President. There has not been any update coming from the project director in recent times. The E-Government project was touted to feature a data centre, a transmission network and data network. The data centre, or control centre, is to be housed in the compound of Castellani House, in the same building that is used for the Central Intelligence Agency. Under the US$32M project to link Government offices and facilities, the transmission network stretches from Moleson Creek on the Corentyne Coast

PPP justifies Jagdeo’s radio frequencies giveaway Yesterday, the ruling People’s Progressive Party decided to address the controversial distribution of Guyana’s invaluable airwaves to President Bharrat Jagdeo’s party, friends and family. Below is the statement in its entirety; “The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has noted with deep concern recent statements emanating from certain misinformed political quarters and mischief makers who are in the habit of spreading half-truths and distortions with respect to the assignment of radio frequencies. In this regard, the Party has taken note of the persistent and wrongful accusations levelled against former President Jagdeo purporting that he “gave away Guyana’s patrimony” when he sought to approve spectrum space for radio broadcasts in Guyana. The false accusation of “giving away to friends” needs to be addressed. Approvals to broadcast via Radio were given to ten (10) persons or entities in 2011 after the passage of the Broadcasting Act 2011. Prior to this date the only entity broadcasting via Radio was NCN. 1. Alfro Alphonso Essequibo Coast 2. R.S. Christie - Berbice 3. Haslyn Graham Linden 4. Hits & Jams

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo Entertainment - East Coast Demerara 5. Rudy Grant Georgetown 6. Telcor Inc - Georgetown 7. Wireless Connections Inc - Georgetown 8. National Communications Network Georgetown 9. New Guyana Company Ltd - Country wide 10. Radio Guyana Inc Country wide. With specific reference to Radio Guyana Inc. it should be noted that this approval was given in compliance of an order of Court in a matter that had been filed by Mr. Anthony Vieira prior to his selling his communications empire to Dr. Rangisinghi Ramroop. Dr. Ramroop is always referred to by the former President’s detractors as his

“best friend”. Well even Presidents deserve best friends, but the approval to operate a radio station given to Dr. Ramroop’s company was not given by virtue of friendship. Instead it was by virtue of a Court Order. One needs to look at the other nine (9) approvals and judge whether it is not geography rather friendship which was taken into account. Mr Anthony Vieira, truly one of the pioneers of Television Broadcasting in Guyana, notwithstanding how many copyright infringement laws he may have broken, now by his writings and utterings, seems to want his cake having already eaten it. Mr Vieira now wants to be recognized as an expert on technical matters regarding Guyana’s spectrum availability, misquoting the Chairman of the GNBA in the process. The truth is that Mr. Vieira sold his interests in broadcasting for a hefty sum of money and is now desperately trying to remain relevant in the area of broadcasting. The PPP denounces these blatant half-truths and distortions of the facts and calls upon Guyanese to reject the attempts by the mischief makers who waste no time to utilize every opportunity to throw dust in the eyes of the unsuspecting public.”

to Charity on the Essequibo Coast, reportedly using fibre optic cable of the Guyana Power and Light Inc. The Brazil cable is part of the network too. Some 54 towers have already been built. By way of the access network, all major Government facilities in the coverage areas are intended to be connected via fibre optic and/or 4G wireless Cellular services. Government had announced that the connection would have allowed for, in addition to connectivity, a range of services such as “E-Health” allowing for video consultation, movement of information from one health centre to another and tracking disease outbreaks. Regarding security, the project would allow quick transmission of information including video and data between police stations. In education, the project would set up an “E-library” which would allow for access to textbooks and other teaching aids that can be used by students and schools, thereby lowering cost.

(From page 28)

VEHICLE FOR SALE We buy & sell vehicles for cash, also parts available & 30 seater buses; Extra Cab pickups; 2006 TacomaCall:680-3154 One Toyota RAV4 2002 Model, fully loaded- PMM 7257 – Call: 628-0060 Toyota Mark 2 - $2.2M neg. BMW 318i - $2.2M neg. Toyota Tacoma (RHD) (Auto/4WD) - $1.2M neg. – Call:653-2005 1-Honda-600RR, Toyota Raum, Rav4, AT212, AT192, AE100 Sprinter Fun cargo, Tacoma 2007- Call: 644-5096, 697-1453 R1 2007; Candy Red motor cycle, never fall; 40 original paint 1100 miles -$7,000US or best offer – Call: 623-4045 Pitbull bus ($3.2M) Verossa - $3.7M, Noah- $2M (All new) – Call: 603-9700 Unregistered Spacio 2004, camera, rims, body kit, Fielder 2003, black interior, fully loaded. Call: 617-5536 One Toyota Raum : TV; Alarm, remote start ; PRR 8782 – Call:670-7243

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Disappointing turnout as TGI hosts anti-corruption march

Head of TGI, Gino Persaud By Abena Rockcliffe Chanting catchphrases like “say no to corruption” and “zero percent corruption, 100 percent development,” several concerned citizens joined Transparency Guyana Inc. (TGI) on its corruption march from Umana Yana to Parliament Buildings in the heart of the city. This was done yesterday as the world observed “International AntiCorruption Day.”

Head of Transparency Institute Gino Persaud told the media that this is the second consecutive year that the march has been held and noted that the organization is looking to make it an annual feature. Persaud explained that the march is done as a public awareness initiative so that the effects of corruption will not be overlooked by the general populace. In speaking about the fact that Guyana is ranked one of the most corrupt countries in the world, Persaud indicated that TGI has not been expecting any kind of response from the government with regards to the report He said that the government doesn’t have a track record of responding in any positive way to corruption, but instead chooses to attack the report. He said that the report is a useful tool that is being used internationally and is recognized as an indicator of deception of corruption. “Guyana doesn’t need an index to tell us that corruption

The anti-corruption march prepares to leave the starting point. is a serious problem… it’s not really about CPI (Corruption Perception Index) or any other international indicator. We all have a role to play to eliminate corruption.” Addressing the small

Letters... Where your views make the news

The utterings of Donald Ramotar DEAR SIR, Saturday was a momentous day for Guyana. It marked the first time a dictatorship was formally established in this country. That never happened under the PNC and never happened in Guyana since the granting of adult suffrage to Guyanese. Imagine the PPP came to power in 1992 boasting of having brought back democracy to Guyana and labelling Burnham a dictator. In all his years Burnham never formally established one-man rule in the country of my birth even though he never boasted of embracing democracy. The old folks say “live and learn”. We have indeed learned. They also

say “time is longer than twine” and “every long rope has an end.” The President of Guyana will do well to heed these sayings. I hope that President Ramotar does not believe that he is in any way fooling thinking Guyanese when he said, “I have considered and I have consulted and this is my resolve. We will go to elections. I have also since written to the international community alerting them to the possibility of early elections and the desire for them to field observer missions,” and “quite likely that an announcement would be made before the 2015 Budget, during his New Year’s address or before Republic Day Mashramani celebrations on

February 23, 2015.” Firstly, those statements are so devoid of substance that any fool can see that Ramotar has no intention to go to elections. Donald Ramotar and his colleagues in the PPP are so duplicitous and morally corrupt that anyone who believes them, needs to have his head examined. Secondly, this is a man who on more than one occasions chided the American Ambassador for “meddling” in Guyana’s affairs. One of his underlings even went so far as to brazenly go to the Ambassador’s residence and verbally abuse him for “meddling”. Yet he had the gall to tell Guyanese on Saturday afternoon that he had already alerted the international community of his intention to hold elections next year before even letting the public of Guyana know of his intention. This is the man who decries “meddling” by outsiders. Never before has such depravity visited the corridors of power in Guyana. Let me end this letter by saying that I have occasionally looked at soldiers being sworn into the American Armed Forces in movies. I have no doubt that those portrayals imitate what actually happens, and I noted that the first oath the new members of the Armed Forces take on those occasions is to protect the Constitution of United States of America. Lance McCaskey

turnout, Persaud said that he is encouraged by the few who turned out, but hoped that the numbers would grow in future. He noted that corruption is a sensitive issue in Guyana and that TGI “gets lots of support behind closed doors as not everyone is enthusiastic about putting their name and face publicly, in terms of a march, but we know that the concerns exist.” He said many have expressed fear of victimization but usually support TGI’s annual dinner which was held last night at the Pegasus. NOTABLE NO-SHOWS Persaud said that TGI extended invitations to the government, diplomatic community and the private sector along with the political opposition, civil society organizations and trade unions. But even though the opposition is so loud on matters relating to corruption, little representation was made

yesterday. While the Alliance For Change had two high-ranking representatives—General Secretary, David Patterson and Treasurer, Dominic Gaskin—no member of A Partnership for National Unity attended the march. Opposition Leader David Granger told the media that his coalition could not attended the anti – corruption march because of its own planned protest outside the Office of the President, which has been ongoing for more than eight weeks. Granger said he was surprised that TGI would organize a march for the same day as the coalition’s protest. However, the march was planned to be held on International AntiCorruption Day. Efforts to find out why no government official attended proved futile. Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in his message

on the occasion, stated that corruption suppresses economic growth and undermines the sustainable management of the environment, and called on all persons to stamp it out. The 2014 results of the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index showed improvements for Guyana. A country’s score indicates the perceived level of public sector corruption on a scale of zero, representing highly corrupt to 100, representing very clean. Guyana scored 30 this year compared to 27 last year. But notwithstanding these improvements, the country remains listed in the very corrupt category; lagging far behind its Caribbean Community (CARICOM) peers. Guyana placed 124th out of 175 countries with Haiti coming in 161; being the only regional country to do worse than Guyana.

Health official re-emphasises country’s... From page 29 swiftly isolated. “Once you have been to or have resided in any of those countries that were affected with Ebola we would interview you and then we will follow up with you. So we have those systems in place in Guyana,” said the Communicable Diseases Director. And there are sufficient personnel in place to address any potential case as according to Dr Edwards, “I don’t anticipate we are going to be having hundreds of persons who will fit that category.” He noted that upon arrival here trained health officials will conduct a risk assessment and efforts are made to enlighten people that “they have a stake in this. If you have been exposed the only way to save your life is early recognition and early

intervention...that’s assuming that persons want to live.” Although the Ebola Virus is considered a health challenge to avoid at all cost, if possible, it certainly does not mean that it cannot be effectively controlled. This was the deduction of Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr Shamdeo Persaud, who in an earlier interview with this publication shared his conviction that should a case of the virus arrive here, the country is capable of dealing with it. During an interview with this publication too, he intimated that already the local health sector’s efforts are being aided by a fivepoint strategic plan to assiduously combat the threat of the Ebola Virus. Added to this, Guyana has been collaborating with the countries of the Caribbean to

ensure that its efforts are on par regionally. In fact the Region’s readiness to deal with the dreaded virus was one that was extensively discussed at a Caricom Heads of Government meeting in Trinidad recently. That special meeting, which was convened by Trinidad’s Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar, was attended by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and the Chief Medical Officer himself. The meeting saw the Heads in attendance collaborating to prepare and present a 10-point plan which spoke to the need for regional collaboration and building of needful capacity; working to strengthen the Trinidadbased Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) with a view of ensuring that Ebola testing can, at the very least, be coordinated there.

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Letters... Where your views make the news... Letters... Where your views make the news

When the PSC seeks to intervene on Ramotar’s behalf

DEAR EDITOR, The Private Sector Commission should cease attempting to do the PPP’s dirty work. Mr. Ramesh Persaud, Chairman of the Guyana Private Sector Commission has proposed that as a condition to President Donald Ramotar revoking his order proroguing the Parliament, the Parliamentary opposition majority must first agree to delay passage of its noconfidence motion for one month after the resumption of the House. This modus vivendi, he posits, would facilitate dialogue between the government and opposition. This is a fatuous design. It resembles an idea that was airily floated to the opposition and summarily dismissed by the APNU and AFC. Dialogue about what? The place for national dialogue and debate on public policy and matters of national importance is the Parliament. President Ramotar arbitrarily suspended this very constitutionally entrenched forum for dialogue, without consulting the Speaker or opposition leaders, so as to prevent them from executing a mandate of the constitution. Did he not think of the necessity for dialogue before issuing his dictatorial decree, and piloting Guyana away from the path of a democratic society?

Moreover, did Mr. Ramotar not think that dialogue was important when he r e b u f f e d o p p o s i t i o n demands for consultation on the budget; outrageous crime rate; proliferation of drug and weapons t r a ff i c k i n g ; t h e P P P ’s refusal to hold local government elections; antimoney laundering bill and multiple pieces of legislation which the Parliament enacted but to which Mr. Ramotar has refused to assent? It was Mr. Ramotar ’s authoritarian act that killed all avenues and hopes of dialogue with the opposition. He abused his presidential powers, silenced the voices of the elected representatives of the people and walked the nation back from the democratic process - A process he and his PPP mendaciously claim they singularly returned to Guyana in 1992. Doesn’t the PSC get it? The Guyanese people are not idiots! They recognize the PSC gimmick to be the same putrid, recycled PPP proposal by Mr. Ramotar, which has now been reshuffled and wrapped in an ostentatious but nevertheless offensive PSC package. The opposition should return it to the sender with instant dispatch, with a postscript indicating that democracy has moved and is now homeless, and that the Private Sector

When does one warrant Silk? DEAR EDITOR, I read the letter by Mr Brynmor Pollard SC, in the Stabroek News dated 7th November, 2014, and captioned ‘Difficult to envisage how AG could now be conferred with silk’. Nothing is impossible with this shameless and disrespectful regime. At the time of writing this missive the said Chat-3 still remains in the arms of the President guiding him down the road of self destruction. While I agree with counsel that in no other jurisdiction would such conduct be tolerated, Guyana has not only gone lawless, it has degenerated to the lowest of low. I do not share the presumption by counsel that if the thoroughbred is not conferred with silk, it is unlikely that no member of the Bar would be so elevated, inclusive of the two females

in the Solicitor General and the Director of Public Prosecution. Of the two offices the former has always been held by Senior Counsel. As far as I can recall the only person who held that office in an acting capacity was Fitz Peters and according to rumours he was listed to be elevated. As far back in the colonial days Gilbert Farnum QC; Gonsalves Sabola and Julian Nurse were all Senior Counsel. Fitz Peters acted until his return to private practice. I believe that Ian Chang happens to be the only holder of the office of DPP conferred with silk. The Solicitor General, Sita Ramlal, undoubtedly is so qualified to be conferred with silk and I see no reason why she should b denied this elevation. Umar Saied

Commission should cease attempting to do the PPP’s dirty bidding. Mr. Ramotar and his PPP government have no respect for the rule of law. They are serial violators of the constitution. They have raped the country and the treasury. They have governed Guyana as if it is their personal property. They have lost their legitimacy to govern. This crisis is of their-own making. The chickens have

now come home to roost! It is not sufficient for Mr. Ramotar to announce “an intent” to call elections next year as he did Saturday night. He must dissolve the Parliament now and announce a date for general elections now. This is what the constitution requires; albeit that he and members of his government allegedly act like avaricious outlaws who have shredded the constitution. Rickford Burke

The devil’s representative

DEAR EDITOR, The Devil’s most talented representative in Guyana’s politics has indirectly targeted one newspaper for the crime of allowing my letters to appear in it. Let him not protest. I am merely trying to adopt his language. The Eyewitness is a little deceptive. He does not disclose that while I was in Guyana in May-June I declined an invitation from his paper for an interview. This Eyewitness, often a false witness, is plainly impatient with my lingering on the same Earth he lives on. Using his authority, he has sentenced me to the furnaces of certain Faiths other than his. But he, unlike me, is not sly! He has also offered me a fulltime job stoking fire in the afterlife. I am sure I will learn much serving in one of the gangs under his able and inspired supervision. Eusi Kwayana

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 10, 2014

Irish government to CIA deceived White House, public accept motion to reconise over ‘brutal’ interrogations - report Palestinian state (Reuters) - The Irish government will accept a motion to be proposed by the opposition on Tuesday calling on parliament to recognise Palestine as a state, echoing similar recent symbolic decisions in other European Union countries.

While most developing countries recognise Palestine as a state, most Western European countries do not, supporting the Israeli and U.S. position that an independent Palestinian state should emerge from negotiations with Israel. uropean countries

have grown frustrated with Israel, which since the collapse of the latest U.S.sponsored talks in April has pressed on with building settlements in territory the Palestinians want for their state. The government’s decision comes after Sweden became the biggest Western European country to recognise Palestine, and parliaments in Spain, Britain and France held votes in which they backed non-binding resolutions in favour of recognition. It also follows the passing of a motion in Ireland’s upper house in October calling on the government to formally recognise Palestine. Members of parliament in the lower house are due to discuss the motion proposed by the opposition Sinn Fein party later on Tuesday and on Wednesday. A government spokesman said it will not oppose the bill, meaning MPs will not be required to vote.

(Reuters) - The CIA routinely misled the White House and Congress over its harsh interrogation programme for terrorism suspects and its methods, which included waterboarding, were more brutal than the agency acknowledged, a Senate report said on Tuesday. The programme, devised by two agency contractors to squeeze information from suspects after the Sept. 11 2001 attacks, was ineffective and never led to the disruption of a single plot, the report by the Senate Intelligence Committee said. The programme ran from 2002 to 2006 and involved questioning al Qaeda and other captives in secret detention facilities in various countries, including Afghanistan, Poland, Romania and Thailand. The report, which followed a five-year investigation, found the techniques used were “far more brutal” than the CIA told the public or policymakers. Its release prompted a boost of

The lobby of the CIA Headquarters building in McLean, Virginia. security at U.S. facilities abroad. “This document examines the CIA’s secret overseas detention of at least 119 individuals and the use of coercive interrogation techniques - in some cases amounting to torture,” committee chair Dianne Feinstein said.

The CIA dismissed the findings, saying the interrogations did result in valuable information. Many Republicans condemned the report, which was put together by the committee’s Democratic majority, saying it would put Americans at risk.

Wednesday December 10, 2014

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Training delays Cuban Ukraine accuses rebels of violating ‘Day of Silence’; RRussian ussian gas flows resume doctors from fighting Ebola KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine’s military accused separatists of violating an agreed “Day of Silence” in the country’s embattled east on Tuesday, an initiative that was seen as an attempt to forge a durable ceasefire paving the way to a new round of peace talks. In a step toward normalization, Russia resumed shipments of natural gas to Ukraine on Tuesday after a six-month shut-off caused by a dispute over price and debt that ran parallel to the war waged by pro-Moscow rebels in eastern Ukraine. Government forces said they had suspended combat operations from 10 a.m. on Tuesday and separatists said that the ceasefire was, for the moment, holding. But as night fell, Kiev’s military said troops had recorded 13 violations by rebels shelling Ukrainian positions, highlighting two artillery attacks on the airport of rebel-held Donetsk. It did not say if

any soldiers had been killed. “Not having any idea of observing the agreements, the rebels employed light weapons, mortars and artillery, armored tanks in residential areas,” the press service for Kiev’s military operation in the east said in a post on Facebook. The Ukrainians saw the Day of Silence as a litmus test of the Moscow-backed separatists’ readiness to reinforce a September truce that has been regularly breached, with almost daily deaths among government forces, rebels and civilians. Fighting in the past few weeks has been intense around the international airport in Donetsk, the separatists’ main urban stronghold. The rebels are trying to wrest the ruins of the airport from government control. It had been hoped that the truce could improve prospects of a new round of peace talks in the Belarussian capital Minsk involving

Russia, Ukraine and the separatists under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Talks by that “contact group” in Minsk in early September led to a 12-point blueprint for peace, including a ceasefire. Since then, however, separatists have defied Kiev by holding elections for officials. Ukraine accuses Russia of sending more troops and weapons to aid the rebels. “We have declared a Day of Silence three times in the past. This is the fourth time. One hundred and ninetytwo people have been killed since Sept. 5,” army c h i e f o f s t a ff Vi k t o r Muzhenko told journalists in Kiev. Moscow, which denies its troops are fighting in Ukraine although scores of them have died there, says Kiev has violated the Minsk deal by continuing to fight.

CONAKRY, Guinea (AP) — The Cuban doctors were all fired up and raring to get to work: Fidel Castro had praised their commitment and urged them to work even with American troops who might otherwise be considered the enemy, and President Raul Castro came to the airport to wish them

well in their mission to fight Ebola in West Africa. That was more than two months ago. In Guinea, where the current outbreak started, 37 Cuban doctors, nurses and epidemiologists hang around a hotel pool, holding daily meetings to bolster their morale, crowding around a computer to learn more

about the theory of Ebola treatment, and even trying on their protective suits and masks. “We really thought we would arrive one day and get to work the next, but the reality is different,” Cuban team leader Dr Carlos Castro told The Associated Press in Conakry, the capital.

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Doping in athletics: British athlete avoided inquiry, claims German TV BBC Sport - A top British athlete escaped a doping inquiry after the IAAF, the sport’s world governing body, decided not to look into 150 suspicious blood samples, a German television documentary claims. Broadcaster ARD alleges an unnamed m e m b e r o f t h e I A A F ’s medical commission had a list of cases from 2006 to 2008 that were not investigated. According to the IAAF official, the samples were “highly suspicious”. It is alleged many came from Russia, but at least

one was from a Briton. Others came from Kenya, Germany, Spain and Morocco. The British athlete cannot be named for legal reasons and both British Athletics and UK AntiDoping have declined to comment. ARD has already alleged there is systematic doping in Russian athletics and implicated the IAAF in covering up the problem. The BBC has not independently verified any of the claims but the Russian Athletics Federation has called them “lies”.

The latest claims will add weight to Lord Coe’s campaign for the IAAF’s anti-doping system to be completely independent in terms of testing and sanctions. Coe, who is running for the IAAF presidency, has made the establishment of an independent doping body a key part of his manifesto. “There is a disproportionate amount of reputational damage being caused by a small number of countries,” he said. “This is not endemic across the world of athletics.

Wednesday December 10, 2014 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Something's gotten into you today. An iconoclastic imp inside you is determined to tear down every convention, especially in the art world. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) If you're involved in an occupation similar to that of your mother or father, today you may question if the choice was yours or preordained. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Most people form their opinions on the basis of what they're told by a few people who supposedly know what they're talking about. Certain ideas become fashionable. CANCER (June 21–July 22) If you're involved with theater, dance, or painting, the day ahead will be a bright one for you. You feel a strong desire to bring people together in pursuit of some artistic endeavor. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Today you can expect to have some disagreements with your partner or friend. You may overreact. If you do, it's only because the climate of the last few days has made you feel more vulnerable than usual. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Today you will be confrontational. This comes after several weeks of holding yourself back from openly criticizing other people. and express yourself.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You must be wondering what in the world is going on? On the one hand, you have humanistic and harmonious thoughts about your family and work environment. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You may be planning for the future, yet find yourself needing to make choices that will resonate far beyond the next few months. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) You can expect to be volatile today, No one will dare contradict you or insinuate that you've taken your ideas from others. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Don't hesitate to speak up for what is right, even if it means confronting someone with power. So be it. The slightest injustice can't be tolerated. When you voice your opinion, as you feel compelled to do, it makes others respect you. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Aquarius, no one has ever accused you of being overly diplomatic. In fact, since you have no compunction about saying what you think, your mouth regularly gets you into trouble. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) There's some likelihood you'll become irritated with someone close to you today. Just who do they think they are, anyway?

“Independent testing and sanctioning would take some of the pressure off member federations and cut through any potential for conflict. “We have to get this right. This is the time to really push for a wholly independent arm to our testing procedures.” Dick Pound, the former p r e s i d e n t o f t h e Wo r l d A n t i - D o p i n g A g e n c y, dismissed Coe’s call for independent testing as “too expensive” and argued that Russia needed to sort out its own “problem”. However, Pound, who has not seen the evidence himself, admitted the allegations were “quite serious”. He added: “There seems to be at least some evidence to support them so clearly we have a problem and Russia may have a problem.”

Shabby treatment... From page 42 opposition who benefits from far more support, destroys them over and over, but return to little or no recognition and the total absence of real incentives. They promised to return with the trophies on both occasions this year and they kept their promise each time so it is now up to all those who made similar pledges to honour their end of the bargain. They’ve qualified for the Pan Am Games in Canada and the IRB Hong Kong Sevens and many honestly feel that given the kind of support that is required they could very well be on the pitch at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Members of the business community should not wait to be approached; this team is a regional dynasty that is currently bursting at the seams to move beyond the region and the evidence is there to support this notion. Guyana managed to draw with France, a country that was ranked in the top ten in the world at the time, so we see what could be achieved with the right assistance. Give them what they rightfully deserve, not an uncaring attitude.

Packers use early onslaught to take down Falcons (Reuters) - The Green Bay Packers produced a near flawless first half before holding on for a 43-37 home win over the Atlanta Falcons to cement their place at the top of the NFC North division on Monday. The Packers scored points on all five of their first half scoring drives, including four touchdowns, to open up a dominant 31-7 lead before stifling a Falcons fightback to improve to a joint-NFL best 10-3. Atlanta wide receiver Julio Jones notched up 259 yards and a touchdown as the Falcons rallied to within six points in the fourth quarter, but his side fell to 5-8 and into a tie at the top of the woeful NFC South with the New Orleans Saints. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers amassed 327 yards and tossed three touchdowns, wide receiver Jordy Nelson had two TDs and 146 yards and running back Eddie Lacy scored twice and had 106 all-purpose yards to send the side to a fifth straight win. Both teams traded opening drive rushing touchdowns for an early 7-7 scoreline before the Packers exploded. Lacy opened the second quarter with a oneyard touchdown run and Mason Crosby knocked over a field goal to push the lead

to 17-7 before Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan threw a critical interception. Morgan Burnett pulled the wayward pass down and returned the ball 32 yards to the red zone, setting up field position for Lacy to score again. Nelson added a 10-yard touchdown reception late in the second quarter before the Packers completed the half by blocking a Falcons field goal attempt. Jones opened the second half with a 79-yard reception to set up an Eric Weems touchdown before traded field goals took the score to 34-17. A 22-yard catch and score for Jones pulled the Falcons to 34-24 but Rodgers connected with Nelson for a 60-yard touchdown soon after to extend the lead again. Roddy White scored with just over six minutes left to once again get within 10 but a failed two-point conversion kept the pressure valve off the Packers. Crosby added his third field goal for some insurance points and while Harry Douglas scored the Falcons fourth second half touchdown with just over two minutes remaining but they failed to get another look at the football. Ryan finished with four touchdowns and 375 yards in a losing effort.

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Wednesday December 10, 2014

Jaguars Karate Association launches Marian Academy Cup Tournament

Sports Coordinator of Marian Academy Mr. Chris Bowman (left) receives the trophy from Mr. Lowe of Medicare Pharmacy in the presence of students. The Jaguars Karate Association (JKA) whose main Dojo is located at the Everest Cricket Club Pavilion, Carifesta Avenue and Camp Road, Thomas Lands,

Georgetown recently presented its trophies and medals to the winners of the first Marian Academy Cup tournament, that was held on October 20, 2014.

The JKA has been increasing its membership and promoting karate in several parts of Guyana including on the West Coast of Demerara. The Jaguars

Karate Association under the leadership of its Chief Instructor Sensei Chetram Mortley is an independent karate entity legally and officially recognized by the

world karate organization, the International Karate Daigaku whose headquarters is in Toronto, Canada. The mini tournament saw the enthusiastic involvement

and participation of many students of the Marian Academy comprising of a boys team and a girls team with the boys emerging as the champions.

Sean Abbott returns to action Mackeson 3x3 basketball bounces off in Linden tomorrow following Phillip Hughes’s death

Can they do it again? Linden’s last zone winners are presented with the zone cash incentive, but can they repeat tomorrow night in Linden? The stakes are high. The Mackeson ‘King of the Rim’ Basketball Competition, which has already wrapped up its East Coast, West Coast and Georgetown Zones, will head to Linden tomorrow night where two teams will be selected from the Mining community for the Super Eight final. The Linden edition will bounce off at 7pm at the Mackenzie Sports Club HardCourt. Two teams will be drawn from Linden to join the

four teams from Georgetown, one from East Coast and one from the West Coast in the December 19 grand finale at California Square. Tonight features Linden’s DJ Winston and Mackeson giveaways and specials all night as the best ‘ballers’ take the court for a chance to represent Linden for a top prize of $500,000 as the second placed team bounces away with $300,000, all with trophies.

Sean Abbott took two wickets and bowled a bouncer as he played his first match since delivering the short-pitched ball that led to the death of Test batsman Phillip Hughes. (Getty Images) BBC Sport - Australian cricketer Sean Abbott took two wickets and bowled a bouncer as he played his first match since delivering the short-pitched ball that led to the death of Test batsman Phillip Hughes. The bouncer came in the 22-year-old’s first over on day one of a four-day state match against Queensland at the Sydney Cricket Ground. It is the same venue at which the 25-year-old Hughes was fatally injured. Abbott was applauded by spectators when he was asked to bowl in the 13th over. He sent down a bouncer with his fifth ball and ended the

day with two wickets for 53 runs for New South Wales, dismissing Nathan Reardon and Ben Cutting as Queensland were bowled out for 268. The NSW players wore black armbands for the game and also had “PJH 707” stitched onto their shirts, marking the fact that Hughes was the 707th player to represent the state team. Hughes was struck on the neck by a short-pitched ball from Abbott on 25 November. The left-hander collapsed on the pitch and died in hospital two days later. Abbott has received widespread support since the incident, including

counselling from governing body Cricket Australia. Before the game against Queensland, NSW captain Moises Henriques said they were doing all they could to help Abbott through this difficult time. “From our point of view, we are trying to expel his name from the tragedy a little bit,” said Henriques. “I don’t think he was any more at fault than any fast bowler who has ever bowled a bouncer in his career.” The Australian national team is also playing its first match since the tragedy, in the delayed Test series against India at Adelaide.

Wednesday December 10, 2014

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Lusignan win Ram Johnson, Deonarine and Permaul in WI 30-man W/Cup squad Slam T20 tourney

The winning Lusignan team. Hosts Lusignan Sports Club won their Ram Slam T/ 20 cricket final playing against neighbours Annandale, Good Hope and Mon Repos last Sunday. The action started off with Good Hope vs Annandale. The former won the toss and put Annandale into bat and they scored 121 for 5 off 15 overs with Leon Morgan 69 not out. Bowling for Annandale Rajendra Naikbarran led with 3 for 22 off 3 overs. Good Hope replied with 122 for 3 off 14.1 overs, Vishnu Ramjeet 52 not out and Kumar Bishundial 25 not out led the chase, while bowling

for Annandale, Tameshwar Motiram took 1 for 23 off 3 overs. Game 2 between Lusignan and Mon Repos saw Mon Repos batting and being restricted to 76 for 4 off 15 overs. Somnauth Bharat made 29. Bowling for Lusignan Stephen Alick took 2 for 19 off 3 overs. Lusignan responded with 80 for 1 off 7 overs. Krishna Deosarran led with 55 not out. Bowling for Mon Repos Ferron Kadir took 1 for 28 off 3 overs. In the final, Lusignan took on Good Hope. Lusignan in their innings struggled to 94 for 8 off 15 overs with

Krishna Deosarran hitting 44. Bowling for Good Hope, Kumar Bishundial took 2 for 27 off 3 overs and Vishnu Ramjeet 2 for 8 off 3 overs. Good Hope in reply found the going no better as Lusignan held them at 86 for 8 off 15 overs with Kumar Bishundial hitting 26. Bowling for Lusignan, Steven Ramdass took 3 for 15 off 3 overs andStephen Alick 3 for 9 off 3 overs. The winner received a trophy and medals, while the Runner up a trophy. Best batsman was Krishna Deosarran and Best bowler Stephen Alick.

Leon Johnson

Narsingh Deonarine

Veersammy Permaul

By Sean Devers in Trinidad

Bishoo, who is having a decent Four-Day tournament with the ball for the Guyana Jaguars and who made his International debut in t h e l a s t Wo r l d C u p i s also missing for the 30man squad. Deonarine and Permaul, both from Albion in Berbice, had had outstanding starts t o t h e Franchise season with left-arm spinner Permaul’s 33 wickets the most after the first phase of four matches in addition to scoring an unbeaten half-century in the last game. Deonarine is only behind Devon Smith on the runs aggregate and the only two batsmen to reach 300 runs so far. He is also one of six batsmen to have scored centuries after starting the season with back-to-back tons in the first two games. He has also contributed with his off –spin with nine wickets including a five wicket haul. Chris Gayle, who pulled out of the South Africa Test series is among the 30 named as is Kieron Pollard, the Bravo siblings, Marlon Samuels and the two unrelated Smiths, Dwayne and Devon. The squad includes several players who are yet to play at the One-Day International level. These are left arm seamer Kenroy Peters; Imran Khan, the experienced leg-spinning all-rounder; off-spinner Ashley Nurse; 19-year-old fast bowler Marquino Mindley; Evin Lewis, the 22-year-old left-handed opener; and Jonathan Carter, the left-hander from Barbados. West Indies will play in

Pool B in the preliminary round of the 11th edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup. They will do battle alongside defending champions India, Ireland, Pakistan, South Africa, United Arab Emirates and Zimbabwe. Before the tournament We s t I n d i e s w i l l h a v e warm-up matches against England and Scotland. FULL SQUAD: Sulieman Benn, Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Sheldon Cottrell, Miguel Cummins, Narsingh Deonarine, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Jason Holder, Imran Khan, Leon Johnson, Evin Lewis, Nikita Miller, Marquino Mindley, Sunil Narine, Ashley Nurse, Kenroy Peters, Veerasammy Permaul, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Darren Samm y, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith, Devon Smith, Jerome Taylor WEST INDIES MATCH SCHEDULE Monday, Feb 9: warm-up vs England – SCG, Sydney (day/night) Thursday, Feb 12: warmup vs Scotland – SCG, Sydney Monday, Feb 16: vs Ireland – Saxton Oval, Nelson Saturday, Feb 21: vs Pakistan – Hagley Oval, Christchurch Tuesday, Feb 24: vs Zimbabwe – Munaka Oval, Canberra (day/ night) Friday, Feb 27: vs South Africa – SCG, Sydney (day/night) Friday, Mar 6: vs India – WACA Ground, Perth (day/night) Sunday, Mar 15: vs United Arab Emirates – McLean Park, Napier

Guyanese trio Leon Johnson, Narsingh Deonarine and Ve e r a s a m m y P e r m a u l were yesterday named the West Indies 30-man provisional squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup to be played in Australia and New Zealand in February and March, 2015. Johnson, Assad Fudadin and veteran Shiv Chanderpaul are w i t h t h e Te s t t e a m i n South Africa but Fudadin and Chanderpaul were not considered for selection for the World Cup while Devendra

GCB outreach continues in Berbice

The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) countrywide cricket outreach programme continued in Berbice as President of the Board, Drubahadur, donated a complete cricket gear kit to Skeldon Estate Cricket Club on Sunday at the Port Mourant Cricket Club ground. Drubahadur thanked Linden Murray, Community Development Officer at the Skeldon Estate, for accepting his invitation and coming out to receive the gear. He noted that Skeldon and the Upper Corentyne area continue to produce young talented players for Guyana, and it is only fair that the GCB assist the clubs to groom these players. He added that Berbice has many clubs and the GCB is trying to assist as many of them as possible. The President stated that the members of the GCB are happy with the performance of the various national teams this year, and they are

- donates gear kit to Skeldon Estate Cricket Club

GCB President, Drubahadur (left), handing over the gear kit to Linden Murray, CEO at Skeldon Estate, in the presence of BCB Head Coach Julian Moore. committed towards working with cricket clubs across the country to discover and nurture new young talents along with those that are already in the system. He reminded all present at the

ground, that members of the Board visit the County often to find out about the challenges and concerns of cricket clubs. Drubahadur also thanked the Government of Guyana,

GUYSUCO and the Port Mourant Cricket Club President, Vickram Seebarran, for the wonderful development that has taken place at the Port Mourant Cricket Club ground. He asked Murray to make sure the players at Skeldon make full use of the gear and cherish them. He added that the GCB will continue to assist them with the hope that the club continues to show interest in developing players. Murray thanked the GCB President for recognizing that the Skeldon Estate Cricket Club needed gear. He assured Drubahadur that he would ensure that the cricketers make maximum use of the equipment and care them. He added that he is looking forward to such assistance in the future which would go a long way in strengthening the programme of the club.

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Wednesday December 10, 2014

Diamond Mineral Water International Indoor Hockey Festival

GCC Tigers, Hickers vets both repeat 2013 victories, Pepsi Hikers on target The GCC Tigers and veteran side the Hickers both repeated their 2013 victories in the Diamond Mineral Water International Indoor Hockey Festival while the PEPSI Hikers returned to former glory with a win in the men’s division. The final night of the festival produced three high-scoring matches that entertained the crowd with displays of skill and speed. The pre-tournament favourites and national champions the PEPSI Hikers squared off against a determined Old Fort for the men’s final. Old Fort had just come off of their third comeback win of the tournament with two goals in the closing minutes of their semi-final against GCC and would enter the final with confidence and strong fan support. The Hikers however had experience, a sound game plan and a boisterous cheering section of their own. Both teams regarded each other carefully as the game began with Old Fort falling off to a half-court defence and the Hikers quite predictably enjoying the majority of possession. Spectators seemed in for a long night as the teams seemed reluctant to take chances that would leave their defence vulnerable. A moment of brilliance however by MVP Jamarj Assanah however would change the evening completely as he outpaced his marker and latched onto the end of a Robert France pass to deflect the ball into the open goal for a 1 – 0 Hikers lead. Old Fort responded like a disrupted nest of ants as the pace of the game immediately elevated to fever pitch. With Old Fort’s Aderemi Simon and Jason Dosantos trying to make inroads into the Hikers defence, Andrew Stewart would complete a Hikers counterattacking move and take his team’s lead to 2. Overlapping right back Shane Samuels would score the third unanswered goal for the Hikers in the final minute of the first half to enjoy the break with a three goal cushion. Old Fort showed moments of skilful hockey in the second half but if not for outstanding goalkeeping by Tony Cole the Hikers would have scored more than the two goals they managed in the second half. The PEPSI Hikers earned a well-deserved 5 – 0 victory, making it their sixth festival title in the men’s division. The GCC Tigers rounded

Veterans champs Hickers enjoy the moment. out a dominant performance by improving on their pool match result against Spice with a score of 9 – 0 in the final. The one-sided affair saw a hat-trick of goals from Captain Sonia Jardine who led her team throughout the competition with her entertaining stick skills and clinical finishing. Striker Kerensa Fernandes and defender Trisha Woodroffe both scored doubles, while promising juniors Ashley DeGroot and Dacia Woodroffe rounded out the score sheet with one each. The Hickers managed to retain the Carib veterans trophy for the third straight year in upstaging Old Old Fort 4 – 2. The duo of MVP Jerazeno ‘Skillaxe’ Bell and midfielder Devin Munroe was too much for the red army to handle. Munroe scored two of his three goals in the opening minutes to see the Hickers to a comfortable lead from the start. Despite two goals from Dexter Wyles and Chris Low-Koan, Bell would unleash a bullet of a penalty corner into the roof of the net and Munroe netted his third to claim the 4 – 2 victory in the end. Jamarj Assanah of the Hikers was named the Most Valuable Player for the male category while the award fell to GCC Tigers’ Sonia Jardine for the women. The veteran MVP was scooped up by Jerazeno Bell of the Hickers. In the goalkeeping category, the best goalkeepers on show were decidedly Tony Cole of Old Fort for the men, Briawna

Female winner, GCC Tigers, celebrate after their victory. Gordon of Spice for the ladies and Audwin Graham for the veterans Old Old Fort. RESULTS Men Finals Hikers defeated Old Fort by 5 – 0 Goals: Hikers – Robert France 2, Shane Samuels, Jamarj Assanah, Andrew Stewart. Semi-finals Hikers defeated Under-19 by 4 – 1

Goals: Hikers – Devin Munroe 3, Jamarj Assanah. Under-19 – Kareem McKenzie. Old Fort defeated GCC by 4–3 Goals: Old Fort – Aderemi Simon 3, Jason Dosantos. GCC – Stephen Xavier, Orland Semple, Devin Hooper. Ladies Finals GCC Tigers defeated Spice by 9 – 0

Goals: GCC – Sonia Jardine 3, Kerensa Fernandes 2, Trisha Woodroffe 2, Ashley DeGroot, Dacia Woodroffe. 3rd & 4th Place Match Hikers defeated Old Fort Shooting Stars by 6 – 2 Goals: Hikers – Amanda Garnett 3, Maria Munroe 2, Makeda Harding. Old Fort – Carol Caine, R. Brumel Veterans Finals

Hickers defeated Old Old Fort by 4 – 2 Goals: Hickers – Devin Munroe 3, Jerazeno Bell. Old Old Fort – Dexter Wyles, Chris Low-Koan. 3rd & 4th Place Match GCC defeated Carib by 8 – 4 Goals: GCC – Devin Hooper 4, Alan Fernandes 2, Marcus Fiedtkou, Damon Woodroffe. Carib – Randall Ramsammy 3, Kevin Adams.

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Ansa McAL partners with BFA/EDFA/EBFA for staging of Stag Beer super 16 challenge By Zaheer Mohamed Ansa McAl has united with Berbice Football Association (BFA), East Demerara Football Association (EDFA) and the East Bank Football Association (EBFA) for the staging of the inaugural Stag Beer Super 16 Knockout challenge. The tournament, which is set to kick start on Sunday at Number five ground in West Berbice, was launched yesterday at Ansa McAl he a d office at Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara. Six teams from EDFA and five each from BFA and EBFA will vie for the top prize of $1.5M, while the runner up will take home $500,000, third place $300,000 and fourth $100,000. Additionally the best goalkeeper, goal scorer, and the most valuable player will also be rewarded, while each team will be given $50,000 to prepare for the competition. Teams are allowed a maximum of four guest players and registration closes tomorrow. Public Relations Officer of Ansa McAl Dharshanie Yusuf said they are happy to continue supporting football, adding that they will continue to support the

sport in a better way and pointed out that two players from their East Bank league have made the national team. Speaking at the launching, Secretary of EBFA Franklin Wilson said they are happy to start such a partnership with Ansa McAl, stating that it is a collective effort from the three associations. “Fans deserve these entertainment and we are happy to have the Normalization Committee as part of the arrangement,” he added. Stag Beer brand coordinator John Maikoo said they are happy to be the official sponsor of the tournament and have the support of the various associations. “We are about to deliver football to those areas that has been neglected when football was being played else where and we do look forward to a successful tournament,” he stated. Chairman of the Normalization Committee, Clinton Urling, said they are happy to see football being played here and congratulated the respective associations and sponsors. He informed that the application for the Kashif and Shanghai tournament

has been approved for the Easter season. “We do look forward to reactivate the national team and to qualify for the 2018 World Cup finals. We will look to develop the game at the grassroots level in 2015,”he posited. S t u a r t May another member of the Normalization Committee stated that football can only develop if it is being played and this augurs well for the game locally, while Troy Cadogan, Marketing Director of Ansa McAl said this is a historic occasion for them and their commitment to football will continue. Both Aubrey Hutson of EDFA and Keith O’Jeer of BFA thanked the company for their backing. On Sunday, Cougars will tackle Soesdyke Falcons and Monedderlust will face Golden Stars. On December 19 at Grove, Agricola Red Triangle will play Ann’s Grove and BV Triumph will tackle Grove HiTech. On December 21 at No 5, Timehri Panthers will take on New Amsterdam United and Mahaica Determinators will match skills with Rosignol United. On December 23 at Victoria, Buxton United will face Kuru Kuru

Milerock, Uitvlugt cart off honours in 4th Kayo and Tallo’s U-13, U-16 football fiesta Linden’s Milerock and West Demerara’s Uitvlugt Under-13 and Under-16 teams are the new champions following last Saturday’s Kayo’s Academy and Rickland ‘Tallo’ Hutson 4th Youth Challenge Football Fiesta contested at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground in Linden. There were three female teams contesting in the Under-16 competition, the Little Divas of Georgetown, West Demerara Queens and a Linden side. Milerock emerged the champions in the ten team Under 13 competition as they beat Uitvlugt in the final where Milerock’s George Stephens was named the Most Valuable Player while his coach Errol Dainty was the Best Coach. However, the tournaments’ Most Disciplined Player was Jonathan Copeland of Net Rockers with Malcolm Dainty named the tournament’s Highest Goal score with four, while Tiana Smith of the West Demerara Queens female team as the winner of the Most Outstanding Player award. Botofago were named as the Most Discipline Team. In the semifinals of the

Under 13 ten-team tournament, Uitvlugt beat Net Rockers 1-0 and Milerock got past Kayo’s Academy. Playing in the semifinals of the Under-13 competition, Uitvlugt overcame Net Rockers 1-0 and Milerock edged past Retrieve Lions. Twelve teams contested the under 16 tournament and Uitvlugt triumphed with a 1-0 victory over Net Rockers. Uitvlugt’s Terrence Accra won the Most Valuable Player in the Under 16 category and teammate Keiron Duke, who netted a goal in the final, walked away with the Highest Goal Scorer title grabbing four in the competition. Uitvlugt won against Silver Shattas in their semifinal, while Lions defeated Demerara Queens 20 in the other semifinals. Uitvlugt’s Kevin Fraser was named the Best Goalkeeper and the West Demerara side was also handed the Most Discipline Team award as the Best Coach Prize was taken by Joel McKinnon of Kayo’s Academy. Trophies and medals were given to the winners and runners-ups, while the MVP winners collected pedal

cycles. Among the sponsors was Andrew Major of New Era Entertainment. The female West Demerara Queens football team, which gave a good account of themselves during the championship, will be rewarded with a trophy and medals from the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation.

Warriors and Corriverton Links will challenge Vi c t o r i a K i n g s . T h e quarterfinals will be played

on December 25 and 26 at Vi c t o r i a , while the semifinals will take place at Buxton on December 28.

The tournament will conclude on January 1, 2015 at Blairmont on the West of Berbice.

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 10, 2014

Forde first Caribbean male to finish Berbice Basketball action set to bounce off today at the Area H ground Run Barbados 10k, Half Marathon The basketball action which was originally set to bounce off last Sunday will now get started today in Berbice. Six teams are set to take part in the competition with the teams being divided into two groups. Group A will be made up of Fyrish Black Sharks, Rose Hall Town Jammers and The East Canje Knights. While group ‘B’ will comprise of New Amsterdam Warriors, Smythfield Rockers and the lone team from West Berbice Ithaca Hardliners. The competition will be played on a round robin basis at the preliminary stages with the

top two teams from each group emerging to contest the semifinals. The winner of group ‘A’ will take on the runner up in group B and vise versa. The final is set for December 26 at a venue to be decided. The top two teams will receive cash incentives and medals. The most valuable player will also be presented with a trophy. The competition gets bouncing today with Fyrish Black Sharks taking on Rose Hall Jammers at the Area H ground. (Samuel Whyte)

David Warner century ‘for Phillip Hughes’

BBC Sport - David Warner scored a century yesterday for Australia on the opening day of the first Test against India and dedicated it to fellow batsman Phillip Hughes. Hughes, 25, died after being struck on the neck by a ball two weeks ago. Opener Warner, who was playing in that domestic match, hit 145 to help Australia take control at Adelaide as they closed on 354-6. “I knew the little man up there was with me at the other end and it all fell into place,” he said. “When I scored my first hundred, he was at the other end and I dedicate that hundred to him today. “It’s been an emotional week for all of us and I know he’ll be proud of us.” Hughes was 63 not out when was struck on the neck by a bouncer as he played for South Australia against New South Wales in a Sheffield Shield game. Before yesterday’s game began at the Adelaide Oval, players, fans and officials stood for 63 seconds of applause to mark his life. The match had originally been scheduled for Brisbane but was first delayed and then switched to Adelaide to give players time to mourn Hughes. The left-hander was symbolically named as “13th man” for the Test against India. As a further tribute to Hughes, the Australian players wore black armbands and the player’s Test cap number - 408 - on their shirts. A large 408 was also painted on the playing surface at the Oval, while a video tribute to Hughes, narrated by veteran broadcaster and former Australia captain Richie Benaud, was played. Warner, who was playing for New South Wales against Hughes’s South Australia on 25 November, added: “Being

- Morgan is second Caribbean woman in both races Guyana’s Cleveland Forde was the first Caribbean male athlete to cross finish line on Saturday in the Run Barbados Powerade 10km Road Race and Sunday in the Half Marathon, placing third overall in both races to the gritty Kenyans. Forde finished behind Richard Kessio and Disi Dieudonne in the 10km Road Race on Saturday and maintained the same order in the Half Marathon on Sunday with the two African placing in a similar position as well. Meanwhile, Guyana’s Alika Morgan was the second Caribbean woman in the 10km Road Race with a fourth place finish behind Trinidadian, Tonya Nero, who was third. Kenya’s Leach Kigen won with England’s Amy Chalk second. Nero turned the tables on the Kenyan in the longer version, winning the Half Marathon ahead of her with Chalk third and Morgan again fourth. Forde and Morgan were the only two Guyanese in the events last weekend in The Land of the Flying Fish. Morgan expressed thanks to her sponsors for the year, Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company, Cummings Electrical, Prime Minister Sam Hinds, Payless Variety Store, Andrew King, Trans Guyana Airline and Neil Kumar. Meanwhile, Forde thanked Guyana Defence Force Chief of Staff, Mark Phillips, Mrs Stevenson of

Cleveland Forde and Alika Morgan in Barbados SPADS, and Lennox Cush of Starr Party Rentals for making

his participation in the event possible.

Cheerful Pele leaves hospital after health scare David Warner leaps in celebration. (Getty Images) there on the day that it happened, it was quite tough, the memories are still stuck in my head. “It was quite tough early on there, with the 63second applause and getting through that national anthem, that was probably what set me off. “It’s going to be a special number for all of us for a long time.” Australia’s Michael Clarke had looked to be on his way to that number when he retired hurt. Clarke, 33, was on 60 when he injured his back avoiding a short ball just before tea. The captain, who gave a moving eulogy for Hughes at the batsman’s funeral last week, was only playing after passing a fitness test on a third hamstring strain in three months. After injuring his

back, Clarke, who has a history of back problems but has missed only one of Australia’s 40 Tests since he took over the captaincy, left the ground for treatment. Meanwhile, pace bowler Sean Abbott, who delivered the bouncer that led to the death of Hughes, returned to action for New South Wales. The 22-year-old was selected to face Queensland in a four-day Sheffield Shield match at Sydney Cricket Ground, the same venue where Hughes was fatally injured. Abbott bowled a bouncer in his first over and took two wickets. Scores: Australia 6 for 354 (Warner 145, Smith 72*, Clarke 60) v India.

SAO PAULO (Reuters) A cheerful Pele left hospital yesterday after a month of treatment for kidney stones and a urinary tract infection, joking that he was fit again and preparing to play for Brazil in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The 74-year old former Santos and Brazil striker spent several days in intensive care this month but said he was not afraid of dying thanks to his home town of Three Hearts. “I got the chills but I’ve felt that before and I was not to know it was an infection,” he said of the moment a few weeks ago when he was taken to hospital. “I was worried. But I can’t say I was afraid of dying because I am a man of Three Hearts. “Rest assured, I am already preparing for the Olympics,” he joked at a news

conference shortly before leaving the hospital. “In the Olympics three over-age players are permitted and I am one of them.” Doctors said Pele would have to spend a week to 10 days taking it easy and would undergo physiotherapy. Pele had surgery on his hip last year and was walking gingerly as he left the hospital. He now devotes most of his time to business ventures and underwent surgery to remove kidney stones on Nov. 13, but was readmitted 10 days later with a urinary tract infection that required dialysis. At one point, he was moved into a hospital wing used for more intensive care. Pele only has one kidney having had the other removed in the 1970s when he played

for New York Cosmos. The three-times World Cup winner, who is widely regarded as the greatest ever soccer player, thanked his doctors and the fans who sent him good wishes. “I would like to thank all those who sent messages, from China, Pakistan, almost every country in Europe, I didn’t know that they were all paying attention to my situation,” he told scores of reporters and a national TV audience. “It is very gratifying.” Pele won World Cup medals with Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1970 and 45 titles, including two world club championships, with Santos. He scored 1,091 of his 1,281 goals for Santos and last week, while in hospital, signed a life-long contract with the club.

Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 10, 2014

Page 41

Continental Group of Companies supports Sunburst Campton FC Continental Group of Companies under its Continental Foods Inc Sunburst Brand continues to support the Campton Football Club. Yesterday at the company’s office at Industrial Site Ruimveldt, the entity presented balls, boots and gloves to the club for their participation in the current GFA/Banks Beer tournament. Sunburst Campton President James Bond thanked the company which also provides refreshments for the team during matches with their Sunburst Orange Juice and its Corporate Secretary

Percival Boyce for their continued support, adding that this augurs well for the development of sport in Guyana and Campton FC. He pointed out that the gears were very much needed and every year the club has been the recipient via exclusive sponsorship from Continental Group of Companies for the smooth functioning of the club. Also Present at the simple ceremony were president of the Campton FC New York chapter, Ralph Green who has been working closely with the company over the years to source the club’s training

Company secretary Percival Boyce (right) presents a pair of booths to President of Sunburst Campton FC James Bond while officials of the entity and club share the moment. gears, secretary of Sunburst Campton Ackram Sabree, assistant secretary Afreya Denny, team captain Rishawn Sandiford and marketing manager Khemraj Dhanraj. The team was set to meet Santos FC in their first game of the Banks Beer Cup on Monday.

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 10, 2014

Shabby treatment of our precious ambassadors By Rawle Welch By now, members of the history making national rugby team that captured both the NACRA 15’s and 7’s titles in the same year would have returned to their respective places of abode to resume normal lives after arriving back in Guyana as one unit last Friday. Players such as Kevin

McKenzie who resides in Australia, Isiejah Allen and Vallon Adams domiciled in the USA and Richard Staglon, Claudius Butts, Ronald Mayers and Peabo Hamilton who’re all based in Trinidad and Tobago have all departed. These national heroes have now won the NACRA 7’s title for the seventh time in

nine years, while they’ve also added the 15’s crown to their burgeoning collection in what must go down as the most phenomenal year in the history of the sport here in Guyana. The achievements by this incredible bunch of Guyanese sportsmen, apart from being unmatched have mostly gone unnoticed and

unrewarded over the period of sheer dominance in regional rugby and while the Guyana Rugby Football Union (both past and present) should share some of the blame, entities such as the Ministry of Sport (MoS), National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Government, three administrations with the responsibility and

capability to recognize and r e w a r d s u c h accomplishments, are still ostensibly reticent in offering tangible incentives to members of the team. The team did not get to savor the opportunity of being in the presence of high ranking officials from the MoS, NSC and or Government, an occasion which would have been highly appreciated, but was greeted with a snub instead since no representative from any of the three entities were on hand to meet them on arrival at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. The treatment of those precious ambassadors, who continue to promote this country on an international scale for free, was simply uncaring and needs to be

highlighted. We’ve seen visiting sportsmen and women from other countries being afforded the comfort of exemption from going through all the obligatory procedures as an arriving passenger, but no such luxury was extended to those heroes as the media waited anxiously for their appearance in the Arrival lobby. We are yet to read about any congratulatory message emanating from any of the above mentioned agencies or even the Opposition who too must show some amount of attentiveness and acquaintance with the achievements of all our outstanding athletes and teams. It would have been so thoughtful for any of them to be present at the Airport to meet and greet those high achieving athletes and while correspondence about the team’s scheduled return might not have been disseminated to them directly, had they showed intent to get the information it probably would have helped moderate the general perception the team holds about many administrators. Head Coach Theodore Henry even before being asked to describe the performance of the team, immediately expressed his disappointment about the visible absence of high ranking officials apart from the Union President and Secretary. This team on the merit of its performances over the years deserves more respect than it is given and we all should hold our heads in shame for the shabby treatment that is continually being meted out to these outstanding athletes. No other country would have done so and we don’t have to look too far to see how other sports entities and governments reward their athletes and teams after they would have performed outstandingly. How much more evidence we need to see to appreciate what this team has done with the bare minimum of support from all of us. This is a team that prepares locally against local competition and not much to choose from, but still leaves here and compete against (Continuedonpage31)

Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 10, 2014

Page 43

Santos and Rhythm Squad triumph over Beacon and Camptown By Michael Benjamin The tournament has only just commenced but already the action is intense and riveting and points to an interesting climax as the participating teams in the GFA/Banks Beer Cup round robin knockout tournament turn in action packed displays thus heightening those expect a t i o n s . Santos FC and Rhythm Squad FC are the latest teams to chalk up victories; the former defeated Beacon FC 3-1, while the latter won out 2-1 in a keenly contested affair with Camptown FC at the GDF Ground, Thomas Lands last Monday evening. Santos is indebted to Gavin Wilson who netted a classic brace in the 30th and 31st minutes and Anthony Abrams whose 30th minute effort complemented Wilson’s contribution. Kimba Braithwaite pulled back an inconsequential goal in the 25th minuteforBeaconFC. The Camptown/Rhythm Squad duel was the feature game but was delayed somewhat after the former teamwascitedbytherefereeforseveral inconsistencies. Just after these issues wereclearedupthetwoteamswentafter eachotherwithgusto. Sheldon Hope attacked and managed to dribble past Camptown’s defensive line up but inexplicably failed to press home the advantage, wasting the effort with a tame shot that failed to past the opposition’s custodian. The players from both sides intensified their efforts during the first session and after two occasions of rough play the referee flicked out yellow cards. Despite the heightened action the teams went in at the intermission stalemated 0-0. The action picked up considerably in the second session and Teon Jones sped down the right flank but his tame strike was scooped up by the Camptown custodian. In the meantime, Camptown’s Troy ‘Bugsie’ Prescott and Reshawn Sandiford carried the attack

to their opponents but it was Lance Rawleson who dribbled his way to Rhythm Squad’s goal and was on the verge of breaking the stalemate when he was unceremoniously brought down inside the box by one of Rhythm Squad’s defence and his team was awarded a penalty. Sandiford took the shot and managed to break the stalemate in the 68th minute. The battle for supremacy continued at a fierce pace and Camptown tenaciously held on to their slim lead until the opposition earned a corner kick. The shot was not as accurate as it should have been but Prescott inadvertently stretched out his hand and he stopped the progress of the ball resulting in a penalty kick against his team in the 80th minute; Sceyon Hope’s fierce shot was settling in the network even before the Camptown custodian managed to move. Two minutes later, Amos Ramsay added his contribution, a straight, flat shot that had goal written all over it from the time it left his boot. Camptown could be credited for a valiant effort to equalize the situation but their opponents exhibited a

similar level of determination and when the final whistle sounded the team from Campbellville found themselves short by the odd goal. Activities resume this evening with

two matches at the same venue; GDF will take on Black Pearl FC in the supporting match to Pele FC and Flamingo FC. On Friday, GPF FC tackle Black Water FC moments before

Alpha United face off with Northern Rangers FC. Activities move to Tucville Ground on Saturday when Houston Stars take on Fruta Conquerors and GFC play Western Tigers. The latter

two matches were scheduled for Saturday evening but the organizers have shifted to accommodate the finals of the Guinness in the Street tournament scheduled for that night.

t r o Sp

Ansa McAL partners with BFA/EDFA/EBFA for staging of Stag Beer super 16 challenge P.39

Marketing Director of Ansa Mc Al Troy Cadogan (right) presents the first place trophy to secretary of the EBFA Franklin Wilson in the presence of officials of the other associations, Normalization Committee and sponsors.

Diamond Mineral Water International Indoor Hockey Festival

GCC Tigers, Hickers vets both repeatP.38 2013 victories, Pepsi Hikers on target Berbice Basketball action set to bounce off today at the Area H ground P.40

Forde first Caribbean male to finish Run Barbados 10k, Half Marathon P.40

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